Observations on Limes

Citation

(1998), "Observations on Limes", Structural Survey, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.1998.11016aae.004

Observations on Limes

Observations on Limes

C.W. PasleyDonheadDorset(first published 1838), 1997Sm 8vo hardback160 pp.£23.00

This reprint is only of the Appendix to Col. Pasley's Observations on Limes, Calcareous Cements, Mortars, Stucco and Concrete & etc. first published in 1838, and hence is only his reproduction of and comments on other authors' views and experiments on the use of limes and early cements. Whilst this reprint provides a fascinating insight into the developments in the use of limes during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, which will be useful to practitioners specifying or using limes today, the introduction dismisses Pasley's own text as being of limited use to those involved with the care of historic building today.

Pasley's own text is perhaps of limited use to practitioners specifying or working with lime, but to those actually concerned with early nineteenth century construction it is of considerable use, in that Pasley uniquely covers such matters as Smirke's method of underpinning as practised by Baker, and his pages on tile creasing as found in many nineteenth century buildings are the only useful contemporary reference to that mode of construction. He also discusses the use of Roman and other hydraulic cements.

The pages included in the reprint on Ranger's method of underpinning and on Brunel's reinforced brick arches need to be read with the main text and are much less useful without it.

Whilst this reprint is useful as far as it goes, it is a great pity Donhead did not see fit to reprint the whole book.