Washington Monument Set to Re-Open  ...1 of 2 >
May 10, 2014 - The Washington Monument, closed since the 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Louisa County, Virginia on Aug. 23, 2011, is set to reopen Monday after undergoing extensive repairs.  From March-July 2013 workers put up a scaffolding on the entire 555' tall structure.  They then worked repair cracks, patch stones and repoint the mortar, as mapped out in a stone -by-stone inspection.  One of the big challenges in completing the project on time was the weather; not only did DC receive considerable snow this winter, but at higher elevations it can get a bit windy.  In a separate project the elevator was repaired.  A previous restoration of the Washington Monument took place in 1998-2000.  One can argue that just as our monuments and memorials need to be refurbished and repaired from time to time, so too do our democratic processes. 
Bob Vogel, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, recalled that the earthquake
occurred less than a month after he started on the job.  He is responsible for management of
monuments and memorials along the Mall and in downtown DC, a total of 156 "reservations,"
as they are called.  There are "dozens of projects perking along," including restoration of the next
stretch of the Mall lawn, an examination of Constitution Gardens, the portico roof of the Jefferson
Memorial, some roof work on the Lincoln Memorial, and so on. 
Display showing the effects of lightening.
Robert Collie of Perini Management Services, Inc. served as the project manager.
Repairs
- Approximately 14,185 linear feet of repointing (2.7 miles)
- 132 Dutchman repairs
- Approximately 665 linear feet of crack repairs
- Hundreds of mortar patches
- 52 panel anchors installed on the interior to secure the Pyramidion panels in case of a future event
- Various loose and cracked stones were secured with pins and/or epoxy
- The stone pieces that fell due to the earthquake were utilized as much as possible in the Dutchman
repairs
Source: National Park Service.
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