my workspace

my workspace

Image by kiss the sun and walk on air
this is where i spend a lot of time.

The Botanic Gardens In Glasnevin

Image by infomatique
Restoration of the Curvilinear Range of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin

Information provided by BGCI
www.bgci.org/worldwide/article/175/

The Curvilinear Range is the most significant wrought and cast iron building in Ireland and is one of the most important nineteenth century glasshouses surviving in Europe today.

In 1990, the Range was in a state of advanced decay and structural instability which required it to be closed to the public. The combination or basement vaults, insufficient foundations and inherent structural problems arising from the enlargement of the range in 1869 led to the deformation of the structure and glazing bars. The interior tropical climate caused a rate of metal corrosion four times that which would normally be experienced in external Irish conditions. Prior to restoration some 300 glass panes a year were breaking due to the corrosion and instability of the original structure.
History

The Curvilinear Range of today developed in a piece-meal fashion over a period from 1843 to 1869. The involvement of Richard Turner gave the design a coherence which such ad hoc approaches seldom achieve. Turner designed the first 1843 section of the glasshouse but lost the tender to build it. A contractor named Clancy was the lowest tenderer but he underestimated the cost and went out of business after taking twice the tender period to complete the work. The Clancy name is today visible over the south door of the East Wing. Thereafter the Royal Dublin Society, who then managed the Botanic Gardens employed Turner to complete the work with their architect Darley for the remaining stages.

Turner's glasshouses reflect the industrial age in its most advanced form with standardised components and prefabricated elements manufactured off-site for later site assembly. This use of wrought and cast iron was at the leading edge of building technology in the mid-nineteenth century. The repeal of punitive taxes on glass in the 1840s, coupled with French innovation in glass production gave Turner the option of using curved glass in long lengths.

Up until that time, the shape of glasshouses was rudimentary and rectilinear as timber was the predominant construction material. With the intrinsic architectural and engineering properties of wrought and cast iron, Turner gave us a sophisticated and curvilinear range of glasshouses which were avant garde in their design and innovative in their technology.

Richard Turner was born in 1798 and was 83 years old when he died on 31st October 1881. He descended from a long line of Dublin ironmongers to become the greatest ironmaster of his day. In 1834, Turner built his new Hammersmith Ironworks in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge. Turner is principally associated with his spectacular glasshouses in the Belfast Botanic Garden, Northern Ireland (1839), Glasnevin (1843-1869) and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, U.K. (1848) but he also designed and manufactured some mundane things like boundary railings for Trinity College, Dublin, boilers, cisterns and even bedsteads.
Solution

Cast iron was the dominant building iron from 1730 to 1870 but from 1830 the importance of wrought iron increased steadily with the building of the railways. Cast iron susceptibility to fracture under tension gave rise to the use of wrought iron for long lengths of railway track. The superior compressive tensile ratio of wrought iron also lent itself to small structural sections and the extra design and technological potential it offered.

Unlike stone or brick with their own history of research and restoration techniques no such precedent existed for wrought and cast iron restoration. Wrought iron was replaced by mild steel in building at the beginning of the 20th century and is no longer available. This led the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to replace their original cast and wrought iron Palm House (designed by Decimus Burton, with modifications by Richard Turner) with a replica stainless steel building in the 1980s.

The problem of producing 20 different complex shaped glazing bars of good quality wrought iron to fine tolerances in small batch sizes at an economic rate for repair purposes was solved by means of a new forging process, named drop forging. Recycled wrought iron was heated, then placed on a profiled anvil and beaten into shape by a pneumatic hammer. Approximately 4,500 hammer blows per linear metre were required to match Turner's profiles. This was a key breakthrough.

The use of blacksmiths and new mechanized forging combined to make scrap wrought iron available for reuse. New wrought iron welding technology combined with exceptionally skilled welders enabled the grafting of new inserts where corrosion damage had occurred. Over 10.6 km of wrought iron is used in the glazing bars. Ductile cast iron was used for broken cast iron columns and gutters with the damaged item used as a mould framemwork.

A special system of metal work quality control testing including microstructure, spectrographic chemical analysis, tensile and bend testing was instigated to identify old metal fatigue fractures, and ensure that new restoration work was of a consistent quality.

Due to the doubling in width of the east and west wing in 1868 the structure had become inherently unstable. This problem was solved by inserting a new structural brace in ductile cast iron which integrates the structural support with Turner's original pilasters and the new planting troughs and heating ducts.

Great care was taken to match the imperfections of mid-nineteenth century glass. The glass was specially curved to suit the nine different radii of the roof. All edges were rounded to reduce stress cracking. The end of each pane was lapped and scalloped to assist rain run-off. A special system of structural glazing was used to meet modern safety requirements. There are 8,427 panes of glass; 18.129 m of honed glass edge; 5,973 glass scallop ends and 15.5 km of structural glazing mastic.

A sample cross section of all the original layers of paint showed that it was equivalent in thickness to 22 sheets of photocopying paper. By using advanced modern paint technology, rather than reproduction lead based paints, it was possible to be more environmentally friendly, while at the same time applying a paint system of very low permeability which is vital to the long term protection of metal work in high humidity glasshouses. Six coats of specialist paint were applied in the carefully controlled environment of the off-site paint workshop with only touching up and the application of a final decorative coat on-site.

The performance of the services to the glasshouse were improved and automated without infringing our conservation and restoration criteria. The new elevated fogging and ventilation system was carefully designed to avoid a clash with the original structure. Different plant environments are catered for by the use of computer controlled temperature and humidity sensors.

The completed works include:

* The faithful restoration the Curvilinear Range
* The provision of modern heating, ventilation and humidification services to international horticultural standards
* The provision of a new structure to the rear of the north wall, including a new underground plant room and a new single storey building to house new staff facilities
* Refurbishemnt of the vaults under the east and west wings
* Restoration of the Fern House to the rear of the East Passage
* The relocation of potting sheds, fuel tanks and horticultural bedding material away from the rear of the glasshouses thereby allowing public access around the building and opening up panoramic views from this area over the pond and river Tolka for the first time

The restored Curvilinear Range can once again play its full part in the Irish National Botanic Garden's role as a vital national institution involved with the scientific research, conservation, education and display of plants.

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Image by irrezolut
This is where I paint. That big red thing is a painting. It's almost done... Maybe. I don't know. It's a lot of things and there are a lot of things in these photos. I have no idea what else I'll do to it, if I even do anything.

( Taken w/ Canon EOSD )

D☼n K. P☼st☼: SUPRA REALISTIC THOUGHTS

Image by schaaflicht
J’AI LE KRANT UPSTAIRS

AS VULTURES CIRCLE
A LAND WITH TWO MAJOR TASTY TONGUES
AND SOME MINOR ONES
WAITING TO DEVOUR
WHOEVER IS STUPID ENOUGH
ASSEZ STUPID GENOEG DOM
TO SPLIT THE PLACE IN THREE

WHILE 150 HEAVILY ARMED POLICE
IN AN OVERWHELMING SHOW OF FORCE
AND HELICOPTER BUZZ. BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
ARE SUMMONED BY THE BURGERMEESTER
DURING THE ICIEST WINTER IN MEMORY
TO EVICT 30 YOUNG SQUATTERS KRAKERS CLOCHARDS
FROM AN ABANDONED OLD POLICE FACILITY
IN THE HEART OF VAN DE VELDE’S ANTWERP
MAYBE IT WAS JUST NOSTALGIA
OR THIS IS THE NEW NOUVEAU SOCIALISM
WHERE SNEEUW WITjE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES
ARE KICKED OUT ON THE STREET

WHILE BELGIUM’S FIRST HEAVYWEIGHT POP POLITICIAN
‘THE FLEMISH WALRUS’ ‘DE WALRUS VAN VLAANDEREN’
WHO IRONICALLY SPEAKS NIET SLECHT FRANCAIS
CLIMBS INTO THE RING AVEC ‘DE DAPPER WAALSE PINGUIN’
WHO SPEAKS MAUVAISMENT VLAAMZE
AND FIGHTS HIM TO A DRAW

THEN ENTERS THE TV STUDIO AND CHARMS A QUIZ AUDIENCE
OF SAD GLASSY ELLENDE EYED GULLIBLE LEMMINGS
WHO UNQUESTIONINGLY SWALLOW HIS EVERY WORD
SNELLER EVEN FASTER
THAN THE ANTI-DEPRESSSSSSIVE PILLS THEY
MUST TAKE TO KEEP FUNCTIONING EVERY DAY IEDERE DAG
MUCH LESS ROCKIN TO THE LANGUAGE BARRICADES
AND THE TAAL ZEE ENTRE LES DEUX OREILLES

WHERE MULTILINGUAL VERSATILITY STRENGTH
BECOMES SOMETHING OF A WEAKNESS
IN A PERVERSE SENSE OF VICTIMIZATION
WHERE THE WALLS SEEM TO BE MOVING IN
AND THERE ARE PRESSURE EYES EVERYWHERE
IN THIS QUICKLY SHRINKING VRIJE FREE WORLD

OR, JUST MAYBE MISCHIEN, PEUT ETRE
THE GOOD PEOPLE HAVE FALLEN
UNDER THE SPELL OF SINTERKLAAS
DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
CAUSE THEY TRULY BELIEVE
THAT THEIR BELASTING WILL GO DOWN
AND HUN BLUES GA WEG WEG GAAN WAY GONE
IF THEY SPLIT FROM THEIR POOR, LAZY
FRENCH SPEAKING PAISONOS
WHO ONCE FORBID THEM
FROM SPEAKING THEIR OWN TAAL
AND, WHO NOW, UNDERSTANDABLY,
THOUGH RATHER LATE, C’EST PAS POSSIBLE!
HAVE DECIDED IT IS NECESSARY TO
SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE IN THIS MODERN WORLD-
SACRE BLEU!!!
AND WOULD RATHER LEARN ENGLISH THAN FLEMISH…
WHAT’S NEXT, SINGING THE BLUES?

MEANWHILE A MUTANT CLASS OF HIGH FLYING
FINANCIAL FALCONS GREEDILY WATCH IT ALL
PERCHED BEHIND THEIR COMPUTER SCREENS
IN THE NEW FREE MARKET WHERE CAPITAL MOVES
ALMOST AS FAST AS LIGHT
BUT PEOPLE, ON THE GROUND, KEEP ON HITTING SOUND BARRIERS,
COLOR BARRIERS, RELIGIOUS BARRIERS, SEXUAL BARRIERS
PASSPORT, WORK PERMIT, MUSICAL EXPERIENCE? NO? GO AWAY!

AH THE JOYS OF AND BENEFITS OF SPECULATION
COCAINE, CAVIAR, CALL GIRLS,
LUXURY CARS AND BOATS AND PLANES
WHILE FOOD PRICES SOAR
AND THE POOR CAN’T AFFORD TO EAT RICE NO MORE

AS THE BIG BANKS GET BAILED OUT
LEAVING THE REST OF US TO DIVIDE AND
FIGHT FOR WHAT’S LEFT AND
QUIBBLING ABOUT WELFARE CHEATS
AND HEAD SCARVES AND WHO OWES MORE MONEY TO WHO
AND NOT INVESTIGATING OR TALKING ABOUT
THE SOCIALIZATION OF RISK, DEVALUATION OF CURRENCIES
DESTABILIZATION OF GOVERNMENTS
BONUSES TO THE FEW, THE NEW CLASS OF PLUNDERERS
--IT WOULD BE MORE HONEST TO INVEST IN SOMALI PIRATES—
AND MAYBE SOME OF THEM DO.

WAITING, HOPING, FOR A WIKI-BOMBSHELL
TO BE PUBLISHED
WHICH WILL EXPLODE THEIR CONTROL
WHILE, THE EDITOR OF WIKILEAKS,
IS, ACCORDING TO THE US GOVERNMENT,
A DANGER MORE DANGEROUS
THAN A TERRORIST GROUP-
FOR PUBLISHING DIPLOMATIC GOSSIP.
MY MY MY THE EMPIRE MUST BE HELD TOGETHER
BY SOOOO LITTLE….

WHILE, MR WIKILEAKS HIMSELF,
IS ACCUSED IN A STRANGE TWIST OF FATE…
IN A CASE OF OVERZEALOUS POLITICALLY CORRECT CHASTENESS
TOPPED BY AN INTERNATIONAL CHASE WARRANT
FOR NOT USING A CONDOM!

ARE YOU SAYING MISS THAT HE RAPED YOU
AND THEN YOU INVITED HIM BACK
THE FOLLOWING WEEK FOR MORE?!!

WHERE HIS ONLY CRIME IS THINKING
THAT THE OUTLAW HERO IS SUPPOSED TO GET THE GIRLS—
THE POLITICAL GROUPIES AND THE WOMEN REALIZED
WHEN THEY TALKED TOGETHER
THAT THEY WERE JUST STAR FUCKERS.

BUT SHHHHHHHH….ENOUGH SAID..
ENJOY THE MOSSELLEN, THE FRITES
THE CHOCOLATES, JENEVER, ALL THE BEERS
THE WHOLE BURGUNDIAN LIFESTYLE THAT IS THREATENED
WHILE POLITICOS CONTINUE TO GET PAID-SINCE THE ELECTION-
-WELL-VERY WELL INDERDAAD!!!
SO NO HURRY-NO WORRY-NO GOVERNMENT-NO MATTER-
THE FEAST GOES ON….THE BEAST GOES ON—

BUT, WHAT ABOUT BRUSSELS?
TO BE CONDEMNED WITH IT’S MILLION INHABITANTS
BECAUSE IT IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE LANGUAGE
BATTLE, THE CULTURAL BATTLE AND THE SUICIDAL
BEHAVIOR OF THE REST OF THE NATION-
THE ONLY REAL CITY IN BELGIUM
AND SO WHAT IT’S DIFFERENT?
NY WAS NEVER AMERICA AND
AMSTERDAM NEVER THE NETHERLANDS
AND PARIS CERTAINLY NOT FRANCE
MAYBE YA WANNA NEGLECT IT LIKE WASHINGTON D.C.
WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT REPRESENTATION ?

YEAH, ONLY THE CHOSEN FEW WILL PROFIT
FROM A SPLIT OF SUCH PROPORTIONS
LICKING THEIR LIPS AND TONGUES
IN ANTICIPATION

ALMOST AS MUCH
AS THE PRIESTS ONCE DID
IN THEIR SMALL KINGDOMS OF GOD
AND THEIR ANSWERED PRAYERS OF
AN ETERNAL POOL OF LITTLE BOYS
THEIR VERSION OF HEAVENS’ VIRGINS
BEHIND THEIR CURTAINS OF CONFESSION
WHICH KEPT EVERYONE IN LINE
IN EVERY COMMUNITY
WIM, REMEMBER WHEN YOU TOLD ME THAT
SCHAAMLOOS VERHAAL SHAMEFUL STORY?
YOU WOULDN’T WANT THAT STORY
TO GET SPREAD AROUND WOULD YOU?
MAYBE YOU COULD DO ME A FAVOR, BROTHER?

AND WHO STILL GET PAID
BY THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM
WHICH ITSELF WAS FORMED
IN A BIZARRE CHAIN OF EVENTS
TO BUFFER BETWEEN ENGLAND, HOLLAND AND FRANCE
NOT SO LONG AFTER THE FRENCH THEMSELVES
HAD BEHEADED THEIR OWN KING AND QUEEN TO SEEK
LIBERTE, FRATERNITE & EGALITE
WHY DON’T THEY JUST COME TOGETHER RIGHT NOW
AND BECOME A REPUBLIC?

THIS PLACE AINT SURREAL NO MORE ITS SUPER REAL
CEST PAS LE SURREALISME CEST LA SUPER REALISME
NIET LANGER SURREAL MAAR SUPRA REAL !!!!!!

BUT IT’S ALL MY FAULT, I READ THE PAPER TODAY.

Ken Post

www.ken-post.com

enj☼y the FritjesrEv☼luti☼n

D☼n K. P☼st☼: SUPRA REALISTIC THOUGHTS

I'm Cool, Guys, Really. I Am.

Image by PatrickYHC
March 15, 2010 [126/365]

everyone needs a photo with those 3D glasses with the... 3D lenses/filters punched out :P

got these from watching Alice in 3D today! 3D movies hurt my head. and it sucks wearing two pairs of glasses for 2hours straight! but good movie nonetheless. would've enjoyed it more without the 3D :P

anyway. see that huge block of light on my arm? that wasn't there on the photo i was gonna upload. i did a retake to get rid of that block... turned out pretty good and sharp and all. but when i was reviewing my photos on the camera after shooting it, i accidentally deleted it... thinking it was this one. lesson of the day: lock all your photos, only delete on your computer.

Strobist:
SB-600 @ 1/8th power camera right, bare, behind and aimed at subject
Vivitar 728 @ full, softened with paper taped infront of flash head, behind and aimed at subject
Pop-Up Flash @ full power, bounced off sheet of foil onto wall behind camera for fill.