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Owens Corning Roofing "Imagine.Style.Win." Grand Prize Winner Receives Exterior Consult With Two Chicks and a Hammer
Daniel Clark of Boonton, New Jersey, is the winner of the "Imagine.Style.Win." contest sponsored by Owens Corning Roofing. The contest was designed to help consumers reimagine how an Owens Corning Duration Series roof can inspire their home's exterior. Daniel submitted a mood board showing how color inspires his approach to design. Although a practicing architect, Daniel finds that the "color conversation" is something that is personal and color is not typically part of his conversation with clients. He drew on inspiration from his painting and artwork, his dog Carter and his own home in developing his mood board entry.
As the contest winner, Daniel and his partner Jim traveled to Indianapolis October 6-8, for a color consultation with home renovation and design experts, Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak of Two Chicks and a Hammer and HGTV design series, "Good Bones". The mother-daughter remodelers and owners of Two Chicks and a Hammer are renowned for their use of exterior color on HGTV's "Good Bones." Along with the color consultation, the grand prize also included a behind-the-scenes tour of the Indianapolis Bates-Hendricks neighborhood, featured in many of the Good Bones remodels. During the tour, Mina Starsiak pointed out many of the homes remodeled by the Two Chicks, including homes appearing on the "Good Bones" program. "Jim and I had a fantastic visit to Indy which exceeded our expectations," said Daniel following his visit.
5 Questions with Daniel Clark – Winner of Owens Corning Roofing's Imagine.Style.Win. Contest
Some folks might refer to Daniel Clark as a "super fan" when it comes to remodeling and color. The New Jersey architect and color enthusiast never misses an episode of his favorite home remodeling show, "Good Bones." When visiting family in Indianapolis, Daniel traveled to the historic Bates-Hendricks neighborhood where "Good Bones" is filmed. But he never expected he'd get to meet mother/daughter remodelers Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak — otherwise known as Two Chicks and a Hammer — who transform homes each week; and use color to bring out each home's personal style.
So, when Daniel came across a post by Karen and Mina announcing Owens Corning's "Imagine.Style.Win." Roofing Style Board Contest, he knew he had to enter for a chance to meet the Two Chicks, participate in a personalized color consultation and tour the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. Daniel entered . . . and won. In October, he and his partner traveled to Indy to meet with Karen and Mina at Karen's home. Following are excerpts from a very colorful day as Daniel shared the experience.
As an architect, how do you approach color?
Color is so important – it's a very personal thing, and it's usually not something the architect helps choose. When it comes to the roof, so many homeowners go with beige, black or gray –– they don't think about color on the roof. Owens Corning is helping to change that and get people to think beyond shades of beige and gray. Until now, I hadn't really thought much about the impact color has on a roof. The roof is such a big part of a house and it is a huge opportunity for people to think of color as a way to add interest.
What did you take away from the color consultation with Karen and Mina?
The roof is really the "forgotten cousin" when it comes to a home. It can add so much to a home's curb appeal. Like the ceiling inside a home, the roof is an overlooked opportunity to bring a homeowner's style into the exterior. If I have the opportunity to discuss color on the roof, it's something I'll definitely share with my client and the contractor. Painting is my hobby and I view color as for a way of putting my heart and soul into my work. And Karen and Mina do that each week on the show. As they use color on homes – including roofs – they are not just remodeling houses; they are revitalizing neighborhoods and spreading the love.
How is Owens Corning changing the conversation about roofing?
Color is emotional. It can spark joy that is contagious as it moves from one house to another. We all need more joy in our life. Owens Corning is empowering women to become more involved in the construction and remodeling process. Women are the style authorities when it comes to home design, yet they often don't get involved in the construction process. Karen and Mina are helping with that and the Design & Inspire resources Owens Corning has developed are putting tools in women's hands as well.
How did you approach your mood board for this contest?
I looked at every video on the contest site – both Owens Corning videos and other entries. I felt there was an opportunity to really kick up the power of color. I've never been afraid of color. I use a lot of bright colors in my home, in my painting and in my gardening. I brought in all these elements I love – including our dog Carter. After all, Karen and Mina are dog people. It was hard keeping Carter still and he kept dropping his dog ball, but hey, it was another pop of color!
Anything else you'd like to share.
I was so excited to tell everyone I won the contest. I don't get to talk to clients a lot about color, because others do. This gives me a chance to talk color. And I couldn't be more grateful to Owens Corning for sponsoring this contest and allowing me to meet Karen and Mina. They are my remodeling heroes!
For more information, visit https://www.owenscorning.com/roofing.
Filed Under: Manufacturer News, Online Exclusives Tagged With: contest, Exterior, Owens Corning, Two Chicks and a Hammer
After a Hailstorm, Nineteen Office Buildings Are Restored During the Winter
July 18, 2019 by RoofingAdmin Leave a Comment
Photo: DaVinci Roofscapes
Featuring 22 office buildings, fitness, conference and training centers, plus a hotel, the Denver West Office Park is an impressive complex. So, when it came time to re-roof 19 of the buildings with composite roofing tiles, it took two talented roofing crews to handle the project.
"Our crew re-roofed 14 of the buildings at Denver West," says John Werpy, estimator/project manager for Arapahoe Roofing. "We had 85 installers on the project for four months straight. Access to the buildings, which are four stories tall, was a challenge. And, we could only load product on the weekends to minimize disturbing the tenants."
The true challenges for Denver West began on May 8, 2017. That's when a massive hailstorm caused extensive damage to the existing real cedar roofs on all of the structures. The National Weather Service reported hail that day ranging in sizes from golf balls to large eggs. One of the largest pieces of hail was recorded at 2.75 inches in diameter.
The damaged roofs at the Denver West Office Park were restored using 560,000 square feet of DaVinci composite shake tiles. Photo: DaVinci Roofscapes
With the idea that the complex needed more durable roofing in case of future hail storms, the search was on. The result was the selection of resilient composite shake tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes. The Bellaforté Shake tiles chosen for the complex are Class 4 impact resistant and Class A fire rated. The tiles are also designed to resist high winds (up to 110 mph), curling, cracking, insects and algae.
Once the roofing system was selected, the clock was ticking. The property owners started the project in October 2017 and set a deadline of April 2018 for completion of the roofing. Arapahoe Roofing and Gen 3 Roofing were brought in to tackle the massive composite roofing project, which continued right through the bitterly cold winter months in Denver.
Winter Installation
"We immediately started removing the damaged cedar shake roofing, but then discovered asbestos felt problems in some buildings," says Cameron Hummel, CEO of Gen 3 Roofing. "After dealing with those issues, we went on full-push to meet the deadline."
"For our company, this project was very personal," Hummel continues. "We're a third-generation family of roofers and our family has been roofing the Denver West office complex since the 1970s, when they were first built. Just as our name implies, we've roofed these same buildings for three generations … in the 1980s, 1990s, early 2000s, and now again in 2017/2018. We're proud that we accomplished our portion of the re-roofing project during the winter months ahead of schedule and without any injuries or safety violations."
A massive hailstorm caused extensive damage to the existing real cedar roofs at the complex. Photo: DaVinci Roofscapes
Winter weather was top-of-mind for the installers of the project. The first freeze in the Denver area arrived on October 10, making for a cold installation. Fortunately, DaVinci products are made of an engineered resin system designed so that tiles remain flexible for installation in colder weather. DaVinci composite tiles can be installed in temperatures as cold as 20 degrees.
"Our guys had many cold days of installation with this roofing project," says Hummel. "However, we were able to keep on schedule because of the DaVinci products."
When complete, the Denver West project had used 560,000 square feet of DaVinci composite shake tiles, 390,000 of them installed by Arapahoe Roofing.
"This was an 'all hands on deck' type of project," says Werpy. "Re-roofing 14 structures in just a few months is intense. Our teams also re-lined the existing internal gutters and installed thousands of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards around the structures to help protect snow from avalanching down on cars and people below the roofline during winter months."
Roofing Contractor: Arapahoe Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Louisville, Colorado, www.arapahoeroofing.com
Roofing Contractor: Gen 3 Roofing, Centennial, Colorado, www.gen3roofing.com
Composite Shake: Bellaforté Shake, DaVinci Roofscapes, www.davinciroofscapes.com
Snow Guards: Rocky Mountain Snow Guards, www.rockymountainsnowguards.com
Filed Under: Mixed-Use, Online Exclusives, Projects Tagged With: Arapahoe Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., DaVinci Roofscapes, Gen 3 Roofing, rocky mountain snow guards, winter
Standing Seam Metal Roof Is the Natural Choice for New Cottage in Wisconsin
A standing seam metal roof comprised of zinc panels was the natural choice to clad the roof of This new construction project in the North Woods of Wisconsin features a standing seam metal roof comprised of zinc panels. Photos: RHEINZINK
A standing seam metal roof comprised of zinc panels was the natural choice to clad the roof of a new cottage located in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Approximately 2,500 square feet of RHEINZINK Double Lock Standing Seam Panels met the owner's criteria. "The multi-level roof was a key part of the design and we wanted it to blend into the environment as much as possible," the owner says. "You won't find another material that looks as natural and exquisite as RHEINZINK."
The prePATINA blue-grey panels were fabricated by RHEINZINK systems partner Sheet Metal Supply (SMS), Mundelein, Illinois. The installation team was led by Lou Rondeau of Natural Metal Associates, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. Rondeau is an experienced zinc craftsman and instructor in fabrication techniques. He was assisted by Craig Hardin of Hardin Construction, Union Bridge, Maryland, and Chad Wolbert of W&W Construction, Williamsport, Maryland. The three men were on the job for five days. The general contractor on the project was Rod Flohr Construction, LLC, Tomahawk, Wisconsin.
"Rondeau did a fantastic job on the installation, including some beautiful detailing," the owner says. He specifically mentioned the crescent seams at the eaves. "It's a designer detail," according to Rondeau. "Most guys will do a straight up and down 90-
Approximately 2,500 square feet of RHEINZINK Double Lock Standing Seam Panels were used to construct the roof. Photos: RHEINZINK
degree edge. But we like to spend a little extra time on the detailing and seaming. RHEINZINK can last a lifetime so it's important to make the appearance as classic and timeless as possible. I really like working with the qualities and craftsmanship associated with it."
Overall, the job was relatively straightforward, according to Rondeau. "The greatest challenge was getting to the site in the North Woods," he says. "But the cottage turned out to be a real gem in that wilderness environment."
Metal Fabricator: Sheet Metal Supply (SMS), Mundelein, Illinois, www.sheetmetalsupplyltd.com
Roofing Contractors: Natural Metal Associates, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire,
www.facebook.com/Natural-Metals-Associates-228362561021655/
Hardin Construction, Union Bridge, Maryland, hardinconstructionllc.com
W&W Construction, Williamsport, Maryland,
www.facebook.com/WW-Construction-LLC-430340303795069/
Metal Panels: RHEINZINK Double Lock Standing Seam Panels in prePATINA blue-grey, RHEINZINK, www.rheinzink.us
Filed Under: Online Exclusives Tagged With: Hardin Construction, metal roof, multi-level roof, Natural Metal Associates, panels, Rheinzink, Sheet Metal Supply, standing seam, W&W Construction
Historic Fleur du Lac Estates Gets New Synthetic Shake Roof
January 17, 2018 by Kathleen Ziprik Leave a Comment
Fleur du Lac Estates is now a private condominium development located on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The Yacht Club and Boat House were the first structures to be re-roofed with synthetic shake. DaVinci Roofscapes
A prime filming location for the 1974 movie "Godfather II," historic Fleur du Lac Estates in California is now a private condominium development located on the beautiful west shore of Lake Tahoe. A Yacht Club and Boat House, 22 individual homeowner units and a variety of shared recreational facilities make the historic 1938 compound a much-sought-after retreat.
Years of harsh weather conditions had taken their toll on the real cedar shake roofs at Fleur du Lac Estates. Damage from repeated leaks, hail, ice dam issues, snow and other weather conditions recently convinced the board of directors it was time to invest in new roofs for the entire estate.
Homeowners at Fleur du Lac Estates looked for a product that would mimic the look of cedar, but bring them advantages to protect their homes and buildings from Mother Nature. After a comprehensive search, they determined that the Class A fire and Class 4 impact ratings of Bellaforté polymer shake tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes met their needs.
"We started with our two most valuable community structures, the Yacht Club and Boat House," says Stewart Dalie, maintenance supervisor and project manager at Fleur du Lac Estates in Homewood, California. "Our plans are to re-roof all of the buildings in the Tahoe Blend over the next five to seven years. We did a tremendous amount of research to determine what roofing products would look realistic in this setting, meet the new codes required for roofs in our area, yet offer us superior qualities and a long lifespan."
"Selecting the fire- and impact-resistant Bellaforté shake material from DaVinci Roofscapes means we won't have to be concerned with the potential spread of flames should our area ever be touched by wildfires," Dalie continues. "That's a huge concern for our geographic area. However, not having to worry about wind-blown embers landing on a roof and then catching the building on fire is a tremendous relief."
The Class A fire and Class 4 impact ratings of the Bellaforté tiles bring peace-of-mind to residents within the community. The durable roofing tiles have the appearance of natural hand-split cedar shake with slanted sawn edges and staggered lengths, but with the hassle-free qualities of a manufactured product. At a 1-inch average tile thickness, Bellaforté Shake roofing tiles remind many residents of jumbo cedar shakes prevalent in the Lake Tahoe area.
Safeguarding a Historic Setting
It's not surprising that homeowners at the upscale Fleur du Lac Estates want to invest in the best possible roofing material. This is a mountain and lakeside homeowners association where every home has a deeded slip in the marina, resort-style services are the norm and aesthetics of the community are vigilantly upheld.
Owners chose the Bellaforté polymer shake tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes, which offered Class A fire and Class 4 impact ratings. Photos: DaVinci Roofscapes
Originally the summer home of famous industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, the 15-acre lakeshore site was constructed beginning in 1938. After Kaiser sold the estate, it went through a series of transitional uses from the 1960s to 1979, including serving as a private school and as the site for many on-location scenes for Francis Ford Coppola's film, "The Godfather II." Only in the 1980s did the current project begin to refurbish existing key structures and transform original homes on the property to individually-owned homes.
"Our community has always embraced the history of this setting while looking toward protecting its future," says Lane Murray, general manager at Fleur du Lac Estates. "That's one of the key reasons we wanted a roofing product that has the look of real cedar shakes, but with man-made advantages like resistance to fire, impact and high winds."
Despite a variety of challenges with removing the old roofs and prepping for the new synthetic shake tiles, the team at Bruce Olson Construction has successfully tackled their first DaVinci Roofscapes installation project at Fleur du Lac Estates.
"The roofing surface for the Yacht Club and Boat House were in bad shape and very uneven," says Taylor Greene, general manager of Bruce Olson Construction in Tahoe City, California. "We had to plane these into workable surfaces before getting started. Once we got started the product installed beautifully. We added flashing material to cover some valley locations which made the project look exceptional. To achieve the realistic look, gable end flashing that concealed the manufactured edge of the DaVinci product was added."
The company, which does residential and multi-family new construction work in several states including Hawaii, has already started work on several additional roofs in the Fleur du Lac complex.
"The Bellaforté roofing looks amazing," says Greene. "Best of all, these polymer shakes are perfect for this geographic area. Traditional wood shakes 'hold' the water from melting snow. Those saturated shakes weigh more and cause the freeze line to be a part of the shake. With the DaVinci product, the water is not absorbed into the tile, so snow melting is faster and more efficient. This can also help reduce the ice damming effect in many locations."
Laughing at Mother Nature
Nestled amidst stunning mountain peaks and world-famous ski conditions, Fleur du Lac Estates can experience heavy snowfall during the winter months. The property is just five minutes from Homewood Mountain Ski Resort, and the area usually sees snow in excess of 180 inches total. That's one reason why the community decided to have the Bruce Olson team incorporate snow fences and snow guards from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards into the structures.
Photos: DaVinci Roofscapes
"In our area, it's very common to use snow guards and fences to help keep snow from falling on individuals and property," says Greene. "The previous structures at Fleur du Lac Estates didn't have any type of snow retention system. We believe having these products in place now — which were very simple to put in during the polymer shake installation — will make life much easier for property owners no matter how much snow Mother Nature delivers each season."
Rocky Mountain Snow Guards custom designed the snow retention system for Fleur du Lac Estates incorporating both their Drift III+ snow fences and the company's Rocky Guard RG10 snow guards. The system was developed to handle the 180 PSF snow load that can occur in this geographic location.
"The snow guards are attached in a pattern above the snow fence that creates friction to hold the snow slab in place while the snow fence provides a barrier beyond which the snow slab won't slide," says Lars Walberg, president of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. "Using the combination of snow guards and snow fences gives this project a balanced snow retention system that has the look the owners desired."
For homeowners, the new Bellaforté roofs on the Yacht Club and Boat House are tempting reminders of what will come on their own homes within the community in the years to come.
"Now that the Yacht Club and Boat House roofs are complete, we're hearing very positive comments from our residents," says Murray. "Folks are eager for the work to continue in the common areas so that their individual homes can soon get these terrific-looking new roofs."
Filed Under: Entertainment, Online Exclusives, Projects Tagged With: Bruce Olson Construction, DaVinci Roofscapes, Fleur du Lac Estates, historic, impact ratings, safeguarding, shake roof, synthetic shake roof, Yacht club
Bonding 101: What Do Roofing Contractors Need to Know About Bonds?
December 8, 2017 by Todd Bryant Leave a Comment
In a number of states, roofing contractors need to get licensed in order to perform roofing work. Obtaining a roofer license bond is a common licensing requirement. Not all states require a roofing contractor license and bonding, but contractors may have to get a bond to meet county criteria, too.
Even if you're not new to bonding, the concept of how surety bonds work may be a bit difficult to grasp. However, it's important to understand the basics if you need to get bonded as a part of your contractor licensing.
Besides a legal requirement to fulfill, bonds are also a strong sign for your customers that you are safe to do business with. Being licensed and bonded is one of your advantages on the market.
Here's an overview of the states which require roofing contractors to obtain a bond, as well as the most significant facts about bonding that matter for your roofing business.
Where You Need to Post a Roofing License Bond
There is no nationwide requirement for roofing license and bonding. Each state defines its rules regulating roofing specialists. Usually state contractor license boards are in charge of the licensing process. They include roofing as one of the specialty contractor licenses that can be obtained. Additionally, towns and counties may impose their own licensing requirements for contractors operating on their territory.
If you want to operate in California, Texas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Illinois, or Arizona, you will have to obtain a roofing contractor license and bond. The bond amount in Oklahoma is $5,000. In Illinois it is $10,000. California and Minnesota roofers have to obtain a $15,000 bond. Roofers in Texas have to post the biggest bond amount—$100,000.
Town and county licensing varies across the country, so it's best to check with your local authorities about their exact requirements and bond amounts. In some cases, you will need to obtain a general contractor license and bonding, while other licensing bodies will require a special roofing license and bond.
How Surety Bonds Work
Roofer license bonds are a type of contractor license bonds, which are required from a number of construction specialists. As such, they are a contract between your roofing business, the licensing authority, and a surety. The bond provider backs your contractorship and guarantees financially for you in front of the local or state body issuing your license.
In order to get bonded, you need to pay a bond premium. It is a small percentage of the bond amount that you have to obtain. The premium is determined on the basis of your financial situation. Your surety provider examines your personal credit score, as well as business finances and any assets and liquidity. That's how it can assess how risky your profile is.
If your finances are in good shape, your bond premium is likely to be in the range of 1 percent to 5 percent. For a $15,000 bond, this can mean a bond price of $150-$750. To reduce your bond premium, you can work on improving your credit score and financials before you apply for the bond.
As you need to stay bonded throughout your licensing period, you can decrease your bond cost with every bond renewal.
Responsibilities Under the Bond
Licensing authorities require a surety bond from roofing specialists in order to exercise a higher level of control over their operations. The purpose of the bond is to protect your customers.
However, it does not protect your business like insurance does, for example. It ensures your compliance with relevant laws by providing an extra layer of guarantee for the general public. In practical terms, this means an extra assurance that you will perform the contractual roofing work you have committed to.
In case you transgress from your contractual and legal obligations, the bond can provide a financial compensation for an affected party via a claim. Such situations include not completing the work you have agreed to in a contract, delaying the completion, delivering low-quality work, or similar issues with performing your contractual agreements.
If a claim against you is proven, you are liable to reimburse the claimant up to the penal sum of your bond. If your bond is, say, $15,000, that's the maximum compensation that can be claimed.
At first, your surety may cover the claim costs. This is the immediate protection for consumers who have been negatively affected by your actions. However, your responsibility under the bond indemnity agreement is that you have to repay the surety fully. This means that the surety bond functions similarly to an extra line of credit, which is extended to your business temporarily.
Bond claims can be quite costly for your business, not only in terms of finances, but also by harming your reputation as a professional in the field. The wisest course of action is to avoid them.
Roofing contractors in a number of states have to obtain a surety bond as a part of their licensing. If you're launching your business as a roofer, make sure to check with your state authorities about the requirements you have to meet. This will ensure your legal compliance, as well as a smooth start in your trade.
About the Author: Todd Bryant is the president and founder of Bryant Surety Bonds.
Filed Under: Business Sense, Features, Online Exclusives Tagged With: bond, Bond claims, CLAIM, contractor license bonds, roofer license bond, roofing specialists, Surety
Roofing in Romania, Part II: Past as Prologue
November 16, 2017 by Dr. Ana-Maria Dabija Leave a Comment
[Editor's Note: In May, Thomas W. Hutchinson presented a paper at the 2017 International Conference on Building Envelope Systems and Technologies (ICBEST) in Istanbul, Turkey, as did his good friend, Dr. Ana-Maria Dabija. After the conference, Hutchinson delivered a lecture to the architectural students at the University of Architecture in Bucharest, Romania, and spent several days touring Romania, exploring the country's historic buildings and new architecture. Convinced that readers in the United States would appreciate information on how other countries treat roofing, he asked Dr. Dabija to report on roof systems in Romania. The first article, "Roofing in Romania: Lessons From the Past," was published in the July/August issue of Roofing. In this follow-up article, Dr. Dabija continues her exploration of the forces shaping the architecture of Romania.]
(Photo 1) A late 19th or early 20th century residential building in Bucharest. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
In buildings as well as in other fields of activity, there are at least three determinant factors in the choice of products:
The technology. A key driving force is the technology that improves a product or system. Some systems are not at all new—the ones that use solar power, for instance—but are periodically forgotten and rediscovered; this is another story. The history of past performance is important here as well, as is the skill of the contractors installing the material or system. Technological advancements can mark important developments in industry, but the field is littered with "new and improved" products that never panned out, failed and are out of the market.
The economy. The state of the economy is directly related to the state of the technology; better efficiency in the use of a type of resource leads to the use of more of that resource, as well as to a change of human behavior that adapts to the specific use of the resource. This dynamic is referred to as "the Jevons paradox" or "the rebound effect." In a nutshell, William Stanley Jevons observed, in his 1865 book "The Coal Question," that improvements in the way fuel is used increased the overall quantity of the utilized fuel: "It is a confusion of ideas to suppose that the economical use of fuel is equivalent to diminished consumption. The very contrary is the truth." On the other hand, it seems that innovation is mainly accomplished in periods of crisis, as a crisis obliges one to re-evaluate what one has and to make the best of it.
The political will. As one of the great contemporary architects, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, stated, "Architecture is the will of the epoch translated into space."
Like many other things, buildings can be read from the perspective of these factors. And so we go back to square one: history.
(Photo 2) Palace of the National Bank of Romania (1883-1900), designed by architects Cassien Bernard, Albert Galleron, Grigore Cerkez, and Constantin Băicoianu. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
Our excursion in the history of the roofing systems in Romania moves from the 19th century to the present. As mentioned in the previous article, the use of metal sheets and tiles began sometime in the late 17th century (although lead hydro-insulation seems to have been used in the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the sixth or seventh century, B.C.).
The Industrial Revolution that spread from the late 18th to the mid 19th century included the development of iron production processes, thus leading to the flourishing of a new range of building materials: the roofing products. The surfaces that can be covered with metal elements—tiles or sheets—span from low slopes to vertical. More complicated roofs appeared, sometimes combining different systems: pitched or curved roofs use tiles while low slopes are covered with flat sheets.
Copper, painted or galvanized common metal, zinc or other alloys cut in tiles and sheets, with different shapes or fixings—the metal roofs of the old buildings are a gift to us, from a generation that valued details more than we do, today (Photo 1).
(Photo 3) The Palace of the School of Architecture in Bucharest, designed by architect Grigore Cerchez. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
In the second half of the 19th century, in 1859, two of the historic Romanian provinces—Walachia and Moldova—united under the rule of a single reigning monarch, and, in 1866, a German prince, Karl, from the family of Hohenzollern, became king of the United Principalities. In 1877 the War of Independence set us free from the Turkish Empire and led to the birth of the new kingdom of Romania. The new political situation led to the need of developing administrative institutions as well as cultural institutions, which—in their turn—needed representative buildings to host them. In only a few decades these buildings rose in all the important cities throughout the country.
The influence of the French architecture style is very strong in this period as, in the beginning, architects that worked in Romania were either educated in Paris or came from there. It is the case with the Palace of the National Bank of Romania (Photo 2), designed by two French architects and two Romanian ones.
(Photo 4) A detail of the inner courtyard and roof at the Central School by architect Ion Mincu, 1890. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
The end of the 19th century is marked by the Art Nouveau movement throughout the whole world, with particular features in architecture revealing themselves in different European countries. In Romania, the style reinterprets the features of the architecture of the late 1600s, thus being called (how else?) the Neo-Romanian style. A few fabulous examples of this period that can be seen in Bucharest include the Palace of the School of Architecture (Photo 3), the Central School (Photo 4), the City Hall (Photo 5). Most of the roofs of this period use either clay tiles or metal tiles and metal sheets (Photos 6 and 7).
In parallel with the rise of the Art Nouveau style in Europe, the United States created the Chicago School, mainly in relation to high-rise office buildings. This movement was reinterpreted in the international Modernist period (between the two World Wars).
As a consequence of the Romanian participation in the First World War, in 1918 Basarabia (today a part of the Republic of Moldova, the previous Soviet state of Moldova), Bucovina (today partly in Ukraine) and Transylvania were united with Romania. The state was called Greater Romania. The capital city was Bucharest. Residential buildings as well as administrative buildings spread on both sides of the grand boulevards of the thirties, built in a genuine Romanian Modernist style (Photo 8).
(Photo 5) Bucharest City Hall, by architect Petre Antonescu 1906-1910. Photo Joe Mabel, Creative Commons Attribution.
Influences from the Chicago School are present in the roof types. Flat roofs began to be used, sometimes even provided with roof gardens (although none have survived to our day). It is probable that the hydro-insulation was a "layer cake" of melted bitumen, asphalt fabric and asphalt board, everything topped with a protection against UV and IR radiation. The "recipe" was mostly preserved and used until the mid-90s.
In the second half of the 20th century, the most common roofs were the bitumen membranes, installed layer after layer. Residential buildings and most administrative buildings had flat roofs. Still, in the center of the cities, more elaborate architecture was designed, so next to a church with a metallic roof, you might find a residential block of flats with pitched roofs covered with metal tiles, behind which the lofts are used as apartments (Photo 9).
Most of the urban mass dwellings, however, were provided with flat roofs (Photo 10). Even the famous House of the People (Photo 11)—the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon—has flat roofs with the hydro-insulation made of bitumen (fabric and board layers).
(Photo 6) Residential buildings built in the late 19th or early 20th century in the center of Bucharest. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
Corrugated steel boards or fiberboards were mainly used in industrial buildings and sometimes in village dwellings, replacing the wooden shingles as a roofing solution that could be easily installed (Photo 12).
After 1989, when the communist block collapsed, products from all over the world entered the market. The residential segment of the market exploded, as wealthy people wanted to own houses and not apartments. Pitched roofs became an interesting option, and the conversion of the loft in living spaces was also promoted. Corrugated steel panels, with traditional or vivid colors, invaded the roofs, serving as a rapid solution both for new and older buildings that needed to be refurbished. Skylights, solar tunnels and solar panels also found their way onto the traditional roofs as the new developments continued (Photo 13).
Today the building design market is mainly divided between the residential market and the office-retail market. Where roofs are concerned, unlike the period that ended in 1989 (with a vast majority of buildings with flat roofs, insulated with bitumen layers), most individual dwellings and collective dwellings with a small number of floors (3-4) are provided with pitched roofs, mainly covered with corrugated steel panels.
(Photo 7) The Minovici Villa, architect Cristofi Cerchez, 1913. Photo: Camil Iamandescu, Creative Commons Attribution.
For the high-rise buildings, the bitumen membranes (APP as well as SBS) are still the most common option, but during the past decade, elastomeric polyurethane and vinyl coatings have also been installed, with varying degrees of success. EPDM membranes, more expensive than the modified bitumen ones, are used on a smaller scale. PVC membranes have also been a choice for architects, as in the case of the "Henry Coandă" Internațional Airport in Bucharest. Bitumen shingles also cover the McDonalds buildings and other steep-slope roofs. In the last few years, green roofs became more interesting so, more such solutions are beginning to grow on our buildings.
The roof is not only the system that protects a building against weathering; today it is an important support for devices that save or produce energy. It will always be the fifth façade of the building, and it will always represent a water leakage-sensitive component of the envelope that should be dealt with professionally and responsibly. To end the article with a witty irony, the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright is supposed to have said, "If the roof doesn't leak, the architect hasn't been creative enough."
(Photo 8) The Magheru Boulevard in Bucharest. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
(Photo 9) Apartment buildings of the late 20th century in Bucharest. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija
(Photo 10) Mass dwelling building of the mid-1980s. Photo: Ana-Maria Dabija.
(Photo 11) The House of the People (today the House of the Parliament) is still unfinished. The main architect is Anca Petrescu. Photo: Mihai Petre, Creative Commons Attricbution CC BY-SA 3.0.
(Photo 12) Corrugated fiberboard on a traditional house in the Northern part of Romania. Photo: Alexandru Stan.
(Photo 13) The roof of the historic building of the Palace of the School of Architecture, with skylights, sun tunnels and BIPV panels. Photo: Silviu Gheorghe.
Filed Under: From the Hutchinson Files, Online Exclusives Tagged With: architecture, bitumen membrane, Corrugated steel boards, economy, flat roof, French architecture, metal roofs, metal sheets, metal tiles, pitched roof, Romania, roof garden, technology
Architectural Shingle Roofing System on New Field House Helps St. David's Prepare for the Future
St. David's Episcopal School's new field house features an architectural shingle roof designed to provide long life and protection from algae growth. Photo: Atlas Roofing.
Originally founded in 1972 as a high school, St. David's Episcopal School now serves students in pre-K programs all the way through graduation. Located on a wooded campus in suburban Raleigh, N.C., the school now attracts students from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest and Cary. And as the student body grows, so does the campus of St. David's.
The school's facilities are being built with the future in mind, and when the decision was made to add a new athletic field house, durability and longevity were key factors in the decision-making process.
For the roof on the new complex, the school turned to Baker Roofing and Executive Vice President John Matthews, a parent of two St. David's students who has worked with the school for the past decade. To ensure that the campus itself was built for longevity, Matthews selected 60 squares of Atlas Pinnacle Pristine shingles in Pristine Desert. Other products installed on the project include ProCut Hip & Ridge Shingles, ProCut Starter Shingles, and Summit 180 Synthetic Underlayment.
The architectural shingles feature Scotchgard Protector, which will help the field house maintain its appearance by resisting ugly black streaks caused by algae. In fact, more than 80 percent of the roofs in the U.S. are prone to algae invasion, so protection is the key to a long-lasting roof. "Having the Pinnacle Pristine shingles means the school will have the best protection and appearance," Matthews says.
His personal relationship with St. David's and his commitment to the donors who made the new construction possible meant that this project was especially important to Matthews. "The quality education provided by St. David's is critical to shaping young lives," he says. "With that in mind, it was essential I feel confident in the products we installed. Knowing that Atlas stands by its products made me sure of the roof the school would be receiving. The extended premium protection period on the Signature Select Roofing System gave everyone a lot of confidence in the decision to go with Atlas."
When St. David's Episcopal School in suburban Raleigh, N.C., decided to add a new athletic field house, durability and longevity were key factors in the decision-making process. Photo: Atlas Roofing.
On a campus where everything they do is geared toward the future, building a facility with longevity in mind is key. "Knowing my own children attend St. David's and our family is a part of this community made it extremely important that the work we do and the materials we chose be of superior quality," Matthews notes. "The Atlas system is a product that will ensure the building offers lasting protection and a beautiful appearance for years to come."
Roofing Contractor: Baker Roofing Company, Raleigh, N.C., Bakerroofing.com
Roof System Manufacturer: Atlas Roofing, Atlasroofing.com
Filed Under: Education, Online Exclusives, Projects Tagged With: architectural shingle, asphalt laminate shingle, Atlas Roofing, atlas roofing co., Baker Roofing
Paints, Coatings and Liquid Membranes
March 27, 2017 by Steven G. Heinje Leave a Comment
What are the differences among paints and roof coatings, and what are liquid-applied membranes? The purpose of this article is to define these products and systems to establish guidance for their selection and use and to identify what factors favor specifying a liquid-applied solution versus a prepared roofing solution.
Paint: A finish where cosmetics are typically a primary attribute. Surface protection may also be a key selling point, but as a rule paint must look good. Paint is sold in specific sheen levels and in a broad range of colors. It usually has limited flexibility, but its hardness provides for exceptional weathering and colorfastness in a thin film.
Coating: A protective film used to provide surface protection or other resistance property. Color range and appearance are determined completely by performance considerations. A coating generally has an elongation greater than 100 percent, good low-temperature flexibility, is high in solids, and requires a thicker film to achieve long-term weathering and waterproofing.
Liquid-applied Membrane: A fully reinforced system composed of a fabric and one or more coatings or resins, used to encapsulate and adhere the reinforcement.
Paints, coatings, and liquid-applied membranes are all polymer-rich and share a few key attributes. They are usually based on resins that possess very good weathering resistance and are frequently cross-linked in some fashion to confer toughness and chemical resistance. They are somewhat over-engineered to compensate for the vagaries incumbent with field application.
Paint applications in roofing are almost exclusively used on steep-slope metal systems for aesthetic or reflective purposes. When metal comes painted from the factory, it is called an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) paint; these baked metal finishes are usually more durable than an aftermarket maintenance coating. Although not intended to improve the water shedding of the roof system, a metal roof may still benefit from the corrosion-inhibiting, temperature-reducing and eye-appealing properties of a paint job.
Steep-slope metal roofs are often important architectural details. Bare metal, despite its luster, has only moderate solar reflectivity and fairly poor emissivity, so it gets very hot. All paints, even dark ones, allow more heat to escape the metal, lowering the peak temperature of the roof. Paints with deep colors can employ special pigments that absorb less heat from the sun.
Most white roof paints are rated for their solar reflectivity and emissivity. Together, these values produce a Solar Reflective Index that can predict the peak surface temperature. In terms of cool roofing, no better improvement exists for metal than coating a rusting metal roof with a white coating. Often these roofs are not well insulated and, as they rust, they become less reflective, holding and conducting heat into the building, which dramatically increases the load on air conditioning. Ultimately, paint can be seen as the first step in a long-term maintenance program that might later involve coatings or membranes.
Today, most coatings are based on acrylic, silicone or urethane resins. All seek to extend the service life of the existing roof and, as a rule, prevent the intrusion of water. To do this requires a much higher degree of crack bridging than found in paint. A coating must be able to protect a number of transitions that are subject to cyclical movement: flashing to the membrane, flashing to the structure, joints at protrusions and curbs, and any seams within the membrane. This implies an appropriate degree of low-temperature flexibility, substantial elongation and a thick film. A coating should never be used to overcome a structural issue and, while they must tolerate movement, coatings cannot overcome the limitations of an improperly engineered roof system.
Although many of today's coatings are sold as part of a cool roof solution, in sunnier climates it is important to recognize that a coating shouldn't be selected like a paint—strictly on appearance or reflectivity. A coating should provide robust barrier properties, starting with increased water resistance, and often include some combination of chemical resistance (plasticizers, oils, stack emissions) and resistance to abrasion, impact or vapor intrusion (water, oxygen, CO2).
Typically, coatings properties include tensile and elongation, values that are usually reported at standard temperature and humidity. Crack bridging is the key to performance; it's a function of elongation at a low temperature, tear strength and film thickness. When a material is tested to an ASTM material standard, that protocol will include tear strength, a low-temperature flexibility test and some weathering values. Let's examine the typical properties and explore what they mean and do not mean.
Filed Under: Online Exclusives Tagged With: coatings, fabric, liquid applied membranes, liquid membranes, low slope roof, paints, reinforced membranes
The Language of Safety
February 20, 2017 by David A. Ward Sr. Leave a Comment
The language of safety is like the language of love—it is universal, diverse and affects every company and employee that speaks another language other than English. Protecting your employees is a tremendous responsibility and should be taken seriously because it is the law, according to OSHA.
Safety is complex in its own right and to have it misunderstood, improperly conveyed or misinformed could have tragic results for everyone involved. PHOTO: Safety by Design Consultant Services
Making sure all employees fully understand safety messages, the policies, procedures, instructions and safety training is critical in protecting their exposure to workplace hazards.
But what about the challenges of "speaking" safety when English is not your first language?
I've given this topic a great deal of thought since I returned from a roofing industry event in Chicago. There, our Hispanic Outreach Coordinator spoke at a safety session attended by many Hispanic/Latino employees.
She has served as an interpreter for several law firms who have defended/worked with Hispanic employees who have been injured on the job. In her presentation, she emphasized the importance of being trained in the language of the employee. She also believes that language-based training should extend to activities, such as tool box talks and documentation including safety manuals and written programs.
Another concern was that some employers use interpreters to convey the information during training or from the foreman when giving specific job-site instructions to the Hispanic/Latino or Polish employees. If the trainer/foreman is not bilingual, how does he/she know what is actually being translated and if it's done in the appropriate context? The effort is appreciated, but the consequences could be extremely costly.
It's also important to realize that employees who speak different languages may have a limited education or technical understanding which affects the learning process—enforcing the need to for a system to measure the effectiveness of training whether you're in manufacturing, fabrication, automotive, construction, retail, food, railroad, recycling or logistics.
As an employer, it's your responsibility to ensure that your employees are properly trained for their jobs and demonstrate that they fully comprehend and understand the information being presented to them. You cannot assume that your employees are comprehending the information because they simply sign a sheet of paper, sign into a training session or initial that they reviewed your safety manual.
Safety is complex in its own right and to have it misunderstood, improperly conveyed or misinformed could have tragic results for everyone involved.
Unfortunately, many Hispanic/Latino employees believe they are not being properly trained because they really don't fully understand the training they are receiving, the necessity, and requirements for utilizing PPE, safety equipment, fall protection and fall arrest devices.
The language of safety is as important as the message being delivered. If the information is not delivered properly then it can't be assumed that it's being accurately understood. The importance of training is significant enough for OSHA to address it in their standards.
If the employee's vocabulary is limited, the training must account for that limitation. By the same token, if employees are not literate, telling them to read training materials will not satisfy the employer's training obligation.
As a general matter, employers are expected to realize that if they customarily need to communicate work instructions or other workplace information to employees at a certain vocabulary level or in language other than English, they will also need to provide safety and health training to employees in the same manner.
Of course, employers may also provide instruction in learning the English language to non-English speaking employees. Over time this may lessen the need to provide OSHA Act training in other languages. Additionally, OSHA's training provisions contain a variety of specific requirements related to employee comprehension. Employers need to examine the standards applicable to their workplaces to be familiar with these specific requirements.
If you're unable to effectively communicate your safety programs/training to your employees in a language they understand regardless of the industry or work environment, then please contact Safety By Design at (855) 747-2327. We have bilingual OSHA Outreach Trainers to ensure you're not only complying with the OSHA standards, but to protect your employees, reduce their exposure, reduce your company's liability and exposure to fines and possibly criminal prosecution.
Read this article in Spanish on the next page.
Filed Under: Online Exclusives Tagged With: bilingual, interpreter, language, language-based training, Polish, safety, safety manuals, safety programs, spanish, tool box talks, translator
Grow Your Business with Tech in 2017
January 25, 2017 by Kathy Hendricks Leave a Comment
In a contractor's day, there is no such thing as downtime. Therefore, when contractors told us one of their biggest challenges was not being able to access the tools they need to run their businesses anytime day or night we listened. It's why ABC Supply created the ABC Connect program in 2015. This program makes it easier for contractors to work with us by integrating with trusted business-management systems—AccuLynx Quick Order and EagleView Construct—contractors are already using. ABC Connect helps contractors create estimates and place orders quickly and easily, so they can run their projects more efficiently.
ABC Connect also integrates with our Pictureit software to allow contractors to create virtual photo renderings that can shorten the customer decision cycle. Pictureit provides pre-mapped stock imagery, which includes more than 80 popular North American home styles, or you can upload a photo of your customer's home.
So far more than 2,700 contractors have used the ABC Connect program. One of those users is Catherine Brenneman, the director of operations at Authority Roofing in Frisco, Texas. Brenneman's role at the company is to identify business solutions that streamline operations, to save her team time and help the company stand out from competitors.
She recognized the need to bring more tech into her company's way of doing business, so she turned to the ABC Supply Connect program, which integrates with her software system to provide 24/7 access to ABC Supply's products and pricing. ABC Connect makes ordering building materials seamless, so Brenneman can place orders faster. The system also ensures the accuracy she expects, so the right product is selected, purchased and delivered.
Here are some ways ABC Connect boosted Authority Roofing's business:
Streamlined Ordering
Authority Roofing's business serves more than 30 cities across four counties, so new jobs come in constantly and the ordering process never stops. Because ABC Connect integrates with the software Brenneman already uses, she is able to easily turn material lists into orders as she receives them. And because orders are created electronically, the system can flag issues so mishaps are caught before they become problems that impact deliveries.
Total Product Visibility
Like any contractor, Brenneman knows what products her supplier offers. But even the most experienced professional needs to occasionally look up items and prices—especially the ones he or she does not frequently order. Instead of having to pick up the phone and talk to her supplier or visit a location, Brenneman has her entire ABC Supply branch's product line at her fingertips and can search for the information she needs through the ABC Connect integration with her software. This gives her the opportunity to take on other projects during the day.
Anytime Access
Brenneman needed a way to place orders 24/7. Whether she's at the job site, in the office or at home, ABC Connect's integration with her software lets her turn an estimate into an order with just a few clicks.
By integrating technology like ABC Connect into your workflow, you will immediately see the benefits, from cutting the time it takes to create estimates and place orders to improving job-site safety.
Whether you are considering ABC Connect or another tech program, here are five areas of business that every contractor can improve with the use of technology.
Managing a Job
Technology yields two important benefits: you can store information electronically (including placed orders) and you can build material list templates. These benefits enable you to order (and reorder) materials faster. Project management software also enables you to keep every document, photo and/or video pertaining to a job in one place, which helps with organization, makes files more accessible, and makes it easier for you and your team to stay on the same page.
Another advantage of working with an electronic project management program is that it can decrease costs associated with purchasing and printing paper while freeing up space that you'd otherwise need to store paper files.
Communicating with the Team
Your projects often involve many different people and hundreds of details. If one detail is missed, it could mean a project is delayed, costs more or has to be redone. To avoid this, make sure your crew is as connected and informed as possible on the job by embracing mobile apps and devices. Technology helps your crew better communicate with each other by allowing them to track and update jobs from the field so that everyone knows the current status of projects.
Whether on a job site, in the truck or at the office, technology can help your team retrieve project status updates and communicate with each other and suppliers from anywhere, which can increase overall work production and efficiency.
Estimating Projects More Accurately
Accurate estimates can make or break a job. One of the benefits of using an aerial measurement program is that it can provide accurate measurements without requiring a crew member to climb onto a roof. Not only does this make things safer for your crew and reduce the chance of over or underestimating the amount of materials needed for a job, but using measurement programs that integrate with your supplier makes placing orders more accurate.
Ordering Building Materials
Contractors rarely have traditional 9-to-5 workdays, so it's important to have the ability to place orders anytime, anywhere. The ABC Connect program makes ordering building materials seamless, so contractors can place orders online, 24/7. The system also ensures the accuracy contractors need by flagging issues before they impact a job and sending a confirmation notification when materials arrive at a job site.
As you're looking to add more tech solutions to your business, know that your supplier is also improving their processes with tech. For example, ABC Supply uses a delivery notification system that confirms when your crew receives the materials for a job.
Working with Customers
Not only does tech help improve your workflow, it also makes it easier to work with customers. Leveraging tech tools can help you bid faster and provide digital models of projects before they start. With online product visibility through tools like ABC Connect, you can quickly respond to potential customers by sending accurate information electronically. The ABC Connect program's partnership with common software platforms also lets you distribute bids and reports that include your company's customized branding.
Using digital models of a job can help you amplify sales pitches by accurately showing prospective customers what their finished projects will look like before the job starts. Having the ability to work together with your customers to create digital photo renderings of their homes will also help them feel confident about the remodeling decisions that they are about to make.
Keeping a Job Site Safe
Technology can and should be used to improve safety. Here are some ways that it can help:
Limit salespeople's time on elevated surfaces by capturing ultra-accurate images and dimensions from photos, drones and aerial imaging software.
Know if a job site is hazardous before you arrive using satellite imagery, and arrive safely using mobile mapping systems.
Anticipate structural faults without entering the building by using high-powered thermal cameras. This type of tool can also save you headaches and your customers money by identifying specific issues like punctures or gaps in roofs.
Visit ABC Supply's blog or talk to an ABC Supply representative to learn how technology and the ABC Connect program can help you do more business, better, by harnessing the power of technology.
Filed Under: Online Exclusives Tagged With: abc connect, abc supply, AccuLynx Quick Order, aerial measurement, business management, EagleView Construct, electronic project management, materials ordering, software, technology


High quality wrestling between women who have travelled over 3,000 miles to fight.
Taken at an event at a club in Florida when British girls Maggie, Lynda and Karen visited for matches against American and Canadian girls.
The overall quality of the fights is of the highest calibre. Lighting and technical reproduction are excellent.
Part two gives British Maggie and American Kelly the chance for a re-match after LE6 FIGHTS IN FLORIDA Pt. 1.
Some matches are pin only while others are submission and pins. All matches are extremely competitive and intense.


text:
La Batalla de Lieja (francès: Bataille de Liège; alemany: Eroberung von Lüttich) va ser l'acció que va iniciar la invasió alemanya de Bèlgica i la primera batalla de la Primera Guerra Mundial.

L'atac a la ciutat va començar el 5 d'agost de 1914 i va durar fins al 16 d'agost, quan l'última fortalesa es va rendir. La durada del setge de Lieja va retardar la invasió alemanya de França per 4-5 dies, ja que els ferrocarrils necessaris per als exèrcits alemanys a l'est de Bèlgica estaven aturats per la durada del setge i les tropes alemanyes no van aparèixer a Namur fins al 20 d'agost.

Antecedents

Desenvolupament estratègic

Bèlgica

La planificació militar belga es basava en el supòsit que altres potències expulsarien a l'invasor. No es va tenir en compte la probabilitat d'una invasió alemanya perquè França i la Gran Bretanya es veien com a aliats o perquè l'Entente Cordiale (1904) havia conduït als belgues a percebre que l'actitud britànica sobre Bèlgica seria la de protegir-la.

Es va formar un Estat Major el 1910, però el Chef d'État-Major Général de l'Armée (Cap d'Estat Major General de l'Exèrcit) el tinent general Harry Jungbluth es va retirar el 30 de juny de 1912 i no se substitueix fins al maig de 1914 pel tinent general Chevalier de Selliers de Moranville que va començar a planejar la concentració de l'exèrcit i es va reunir amb els funcionaris del ferrocarril el 29 de juliol.

Les tropes belgues es van concentrar al centre de Bèlgica, al Reducte Nacional de Bèlgica (a Anvers), preparades per a lluitar en qualsevol front, mentre que la posició fortificada de Lieja (PFL) i la posició fortificada de Namur (PFN) es van quedar per a assegurar la defensa de les fronteres. El Rei es convertia en Comandant en Cap en el cas de mobilització i era qui decidia on s'havia de concentrar l'exèrcit. Els soldats belgues, desorganitzats i mal entrenats, es van beneficiar amb aquest nou pla de rearmament d'una posició central que els permetia retardar el contacte amb un invasor, però també van ser necessàries unes fortificacions per a la defensa de la frontera. Una escola de pensament volia un retorn a un desplegament en línia en la frontera amb les teories franceses de l'ofensiva. Els plans belgues es van convertir en un compromís en què l'exèrcit de campanya es va concentrar darrere del riu Gete amb dues divisions d'avantguarda a Lieja i a Namur.

Alemanya

L'estratègia alemanya havia donat prioritat a les operacions ofensives contra França i una postura defensiva contra Rússia des de 1891. La planificació alemanya estava determinada per la inferioritat numèrica, la velocitat de mobilització, i la concentració i l'efecte del gran augment de la potència de les armes modernes. S'esperava que els atacs frontals fossin costosos i prolongats, i que només portessin a un èxit limitat, sobretot després que els francesos i els russos haguessin modernitzat les seves fortificacions de la frontera amb Alemanya.

Alfred von Schlieffen, cap de l'Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL, Comandament Suprem de l'Exèrcit) de l'Imperi Alemany entre el 1891 i el 1906, va idear un pla (el Pla Schlieffen) per a evitar les fortificacions de la frontera francesa amb una ofensiva al flanc nord, on tindria una superioritat numèrica local amb què podria obtenir ràpidament una victòria decisiva. Entre el 1898 i 1899 es va planejar aquesta maniobra per a passar ràpidament a través de Bèlgica, entre Anvers i Namur, i poder amenaçar París des del nord.

Helmuth von Moltke el Jove va succeir a Schlieffen el 1906 i va creure que la resposta dels francesos no seria la que havien suposat els alemanys. Moltke va adaptar el pla de desplegament i de concentració per a realitzar un atac al centre o un atac envolvent des de dos flancs, mitjançant l'addició de divisions a la banda esquerra davant de la frontera francesa, on aproximadament 1.700.000 homes esperaven la mobilització de la Westheer (exèrcit de l'oest). La força principal alemanya seguiria avançant a través de Bèlgica per a atacar el sud de França, mentre que envoltarien els exèrcits francesos per la seva esquerra per deixar-los atrapats entre els rius Mosa, Aisne, Somme, Oise, Marne i el Sena, incapaços de retirar-se al centre de França. Els francesos serien aniquilats per la maniobra des del nord o es crearia les condicions per a la victòria en el centre o en Lorena, en la frontera comuna.

La declaració de guerra

El govern alemany envia un ultimàtum a Rússia a la mitjanit del 31 de juliol i 1 d'agost de 1914 i durant el dia anuncia l'estat de Kriegsgefahr (amenaça de guerra). El govern turc ordena la mobilització i la Borsa de Valors de Londres va tancar.

El govern britànic ordena la mobilització de la Royal Navy (marina de guerra) a l'1 d'agost. El govern alemany ordena la mobilització general, declara la guerra a Rússia i inicia les hostilitats a la frontera polonesa. El govern francès ordena la mobilització general.

El govern alemany envia un ultimàtum a Bèlgica al 2 d'agost exigint el pas pel territori belga, ja que les tropes alemanyes havien envaït Luxemburg. Comencen les operacions militars a la frontera francesa. Liepāja és bombardejada pel creuer lleuger alemany SMS Augsburg i el govern britànic garanteix la protecció naval de les costes franceses.

El govern belga rebutja les demandes d'Alemanya al 3 d'agost i el govern britànic garanteix el suport militar a Bèlgica en el cas que fos envaida per Alemanya. Alemanya declarara la guerra a França i el govern britànic ordena la mobilització general. Itàlia declara la neutralitat.

El govern britànic envia un ultimàtum a Alemanya al 4 d'agost, i declara la guerra a Alemanya a la mitjanit dels dies 4 i 5 d'agost (Hora Central Europea). Bèlgica trenca les relacions diplomàtiques amb Alemanya i Alemanya declara la guerra a Bèlgica. Les tropes alemanyes creuen la frontera belga i ataquen Lieja.

Desenvolupament tàctic

La posició fortificada de Lieja

Lieja està situada en la confluència del riu Mosa, que flueix enmig de la ciutat a través d'un barranc profund, i del riu Ourthe, entre les Ardenes (al sud) i Maastricht i Flandes (al nord-oest). Les principals línies de tren que van d'Alemanya cap a Brussel·les i París es troben a la ciutat; Schlieffen i Moltke havien planejat utilitzar aquestes línies per a la invasió de França. Lieja i la seva rodalia van tenir un gran desenvolupament industrial i presentava un obstacle per a una força invasora, ja que la seva principal defensa era la Position fortifiée de Liège (Posició fortificada de Lieja, PFL), un cinturó de dotze forts situats entre 6 i 10 km de la ciutat construïts en 1892 per Henri Alexis Brialmont, el millor enginyer de fortaleses del . Els forts es van situar a 4 km entre si per recolzar-se mútuament però havien estat dissenyats per a una defensa frontal en comptes de per a una defensa integral.

Els dotze forts eren sis forts petits triangulars i sis forts llargs quadrilàters, construïts de formigó, amb fossats secs i rodejats amb filferro d'arç. Les grans estructures estaven enterrades i només eren visibles monticles o petites construccions. Els forts estaven armats amb canons obusos de 210 mm, canons de 150 mm i de 120 mm, i canons de tir ràpid de 57 mm. Cada fort tenia cúpules retràctils, canons mòbils de fins a 150 mm i les armes principals van ser muntades en torres d'acer que podien girar 360°, però només es podien col·locar canons de 57 mm.

Els forts tenien magatzems per a l'emmagatzematge de municions, habitacions amb capacitat per a 500 homes i generadors elèctrics per a la il·luminació. S'havien previst provisions per a les necessitats diàries de les tropes de la fortalesa però les latrines, dutxes, cuines i el dipòsit de cadàvers es van construir a la contraescarpa i podien convertir-se en inservibles si els fums de les explosions de les bombes dels bombadejos entraven als habitatges, ja que tenien ventilació natural.

Els forts no tenien accés directe entre ells i només podien comunicar-se per telèfon i telègraf, però els cables no estaven enterrats. Brialmont havia dissenyat petites fortificacions i línies de trinxeres en les zones que hi havia entre els forts per enllaçar-los i per facilitar la protecció entre ells, però el 1914 encara no s'havien construït.

Les tropes dels forts encara no estaven a ple rendiment el 1914 i molts homes provenien d'unitats de guàrdies locals que havien rebut una formació mínima a causa de la reorganització de l'exèrcit belga, que s'havia començat a dur a la pràctica el 1911 i que no es completaria fins al 1926.

Els forts també tenien al voltant de 30.000 soldats de la 3a Divisió per a defensar les bretxes entre els forts, i al voltant de 6.000 membres del cos paramilitar La Garde Civique (La Guàrdia Cívica),  equipats amb fusells i metralladores. La guarnició de prop de 40.000 homes i 400 armes de foc era insuficient per a la dotació dels forts i fortificacions de campanya. A principis d'agost de 1914, els comandants de les guarnicions no estaven segurs de les forces que tindrien a la seva disposició, ja que no va ser possible que tot l'exèrcit belga arribés al riu Mosa fins al 6 d'agost.

El terreny que envoltava als forts era difícil d'observar, ja que hi havia molts barrancs entre els forts. Es van construir intervals de defensa just abans de la batalla però no van ser suficients per aturar la infiltració alemanya. Els forts van ser vulnerables als atacs de la part posterior, on es van concentrar els bombardejos alemanys. Els forts s'havien construït per a resistir el bombardeig d'armes de 210 mm, que era artilleria mòbil utilitzada el 1890, però formigó utilitzat en la construcció no era de la millor qualitat i el 1914 l'exèrcit alemany havia obtingut obusos de major calibre, com el Gran Berta de 420 mm (L / 12.420 mm M-Gerät 14 Kurze Marina-Kanone) i el Skoda de 305 mm (Skoda 305 mm Mörser M. 11).

La 3a Divisió belga va ser l'encarregada de defensar Lieja sota el comandament del tinent general Gérard Léman. Dins de la 3a Divisió hi havia quatre brigades i diverses altres formacions que sumaven el voltant de 36.000 soldats i 400 canons.

L'exèrcit del Mosa
L'exèrcit del Mosa tenia al voltant de 59.800 homes amb 100 canons i obusos, sota el comandament del General Otto von Emmich i acompanyat de Erich Ludendorff en qualitat d'observador per a l'Estat Major.

Preludi

Les preparacions de l'ofensiva alemanya
L'agost de 1914 els alemanys es van adonar que la guarnició de Lieja era més gran del previst i que malgrat la seva ràpida mobilització, els belgues tindrien temps per millorar les defenses entre els forts. Sis brigades d'infanteria reforçades amb el  Cos de Cavalleria i dirigits pel Cap del  Cos de l'Exèrcit, el general Otto von Emmich, havien d'estar llestos el 4 d'agost (la tercera jornada de mobilització), en Aquisgrà, Eupen i Malmedy per dur a terme el «coup de main» . L'adjunt del cap d'Estat Major del 2n Exèrcit, el general major Erich Ludendorff, va ser assignat al personal del  Cos com a observador perquè ja estava familiaritzat amb el pla després d'haver estat el cap del Departament de Desplegament de l'Estat Major General.

Estava planejat que la nit del 5 al 6 d'agost l'exèrcit alemany realitzés un atac per sorpresa, travessés el cinturó de les fortaleses de la Posició fortificada de Lieja i capturés la ciutat, per poder tindre el control de la xarxa de carreteres i del ferrocarril. La invasió va començar el 4 d'agost i grups de soldats amb avions, cavalls i bicicletes van avançar a la infanteria per a repartir pamflets i demanar calma als civils belgues. El flanc dret (el  Cos de Cavalleria amb la 4a Divisió de Cavalleria i la 34a Brigada d'Infanteria) va avançar a prendre els ponts sobre el riu Mosa en Visé i poder fer un reconeixement d'Anvers i de Brussel·les per evitar que l'exèrcit belga els impedeixi avançar cap a Lieja.

L'avanç a Bèlgica es va fer baix un sufocant clima calorós i es va veure frenat per les barricades. La cavalleria va trobar destruït el pont en Visé i van ser contractats pel foc d'armes petites des de la riba oest. Els Jäger  van empènyer als belgues fora del poble, però la construcció d'un pont va retardar a la 34a Brigada i el foc dels forts de Lieja va fer insostenible la zona.

La 27a, 14a i 11a Brigada van aconseguir els seus objectius de Mortroux a Julémont, Herve i Soiron.

La 9a Divisió de Cavalleria, seguida de la 2a i 4a Divisió de Cavalleria, van avançar al sud del riu Vesdre i després de trobar molts obstacles va aconseguir arribar al riu Ourthe i van capturar el pont en Poulseur.

La 38a Brigada va arribar a Louveigné i a Theux, i la 43a Brigada va arribar a Stoumont i a La Gleize.

La nit va ser difícil a causa dels franctiradors de la Garde Civique i pel bombardeig dels forts, i les brigades van deixar d'avançar per a reunir-se als punts de partida i preparar l'atac de l'endemà. La 4a Divisó de Cavalleria no va poder travessar el riu en Lixhe fins a les 5.00 h a causa del foc d'artilleria de Lieja, i la 34a Brigada va aconseguir creuar les 22.30 h, deixant enrere l'artilleria i els subministraments.

La 27a Brigada va arribar a les seves posicions de partida d'Argeteau a Saint-Remy i La Vaux, i a la tarda comencen a disparar els seus morters contra els forts; un atac a la fortalesa Barchon va ser rebutjat.

La 14a i 11a Brigada aconsegueixen els seus objectius amb alguns combats a Forêt, i al sud la 9a Divisió de Cavalleria descansava els seus cavalls i mantenia la seva posició en l'aiguabarreig del riu Ourthe amb l'Amel per poder defensar-se d'un atac d'un cos de cavalleria que segons els informes es trobava entre Huy i Durbuy en lloc d'anar a prendre els ponts del riu Mosa entre Lieja i Huy; les brigades del sud van ser aturades a l'Ourthe, Esneux, Poulseur i en Fraiture.

A la tarda del 5 d'agost les tropes alemanyes ja estaven preparades per a fer el «coup de main», però era obvi que ja no es podia fer l'atac per sorpresa previst donada la resistència de l'exèrcit belga i de la Garde Civique d'un país densament poblat, i l'avançament s'havia alentit per les bardisses i les tanques. El general Emmich va enviar un missatger al general Leman, comandant de les fortaleses de Lieja, que li va respondre amb «Frayez-vous li pas!» (No li obriu!). Emmich va considerar que una demora podria beneficiar als defensors i va continuar amb el pla per a un atac ràpid.

Les preparacions de la defensa belga
El 30 de juliol, el Cap de l'Estat Major General de Bèlgica va fer una proposta per implementar un pla per a contrarestar una possible violació del territori belga per part de l'exèrcit alemany, amb la concentració de l'exèrcit de campanya a cavall sobre el riu Gete, entre Hanny, Sint-Truiden, Tienen, Hamme i Mille. El rei va rebutjar això i va ordenar un desplegament més a l'oest de Perwez, Tienen, Lovaina i Wavre.

L'1 d'agost, els belgues van decidir col·locar una divisió a Lieja i una altra a Namur. Al 3 d'agost, les dues ciutats ja estaven preparades per a resistir el millor possible una invasió al mateix temps que la resta de l'exèrcit de campanya protegia Anvers mentre esperaven una intervenció de França i de Gran Bretanya, els altres garants de la neutralitat belga.

A Lieja, el general Leman va disposar de la 3a Divisió i de la 15a Brigada de la 4a Divisió que havia arribat d'Huy durant la nit del 5 al 6 d'agost, augmentant la guarnició fins a aproximadament uns 30.000 homes. Léman va desplegar la infanteria per poder fer front als atacs de l'est i del sud.

Pla d'atac
El terreny de Lieja era favorable pels alemanys, ja que els espais entre els forts no estaven protegits i la zona estava plena de barrancs profunds que els protegiria dels bombardejos de l'artilleria dels forts. L'Estat Major General alemany va calcular que s'enfrontarien amb una guarnició de 6.000 homes que solien haver en temps de pau, reforçats amb uns 3.000 membres de la Garde Civique.

L'avanç de les tropes cap a Lieja es faria sobre terrenys inviables per a dificultar els atacs que podrien rebre, formant columnes de marxa darrere de les avantguardes, amb els rifles penjats que només podien ser utilitzats amb les ordres dels oficials, amb braçalets blancs i una contrasenya, «Der Kaiser» utilitzada pel reconeixement.

El pla consistia en:
 la 34a Brigada atacava entre els forts Loncin i Pontisse
 la 27a Brigada penetrava entre el riu Mosa i el fort Evegnée a la riba oriental
 la 14a Brigada penetrava entre els forts Evegnée i Fléron
 L'11a Brigada penetrava entre els forts Fléron i Chaudfontaine
 la 38a i 43a Brigada atacava entre els rius Ourthe i Mosa
 el  Cos de Cavalleria rodejava les fortificacions de Lieja i avançava cap al nord.

Les defenses dels forts havien de ser anul·lades durant la nit per a poder atacar Lieja durant el dia.

Batalla

Atac alemany, 6–7 d'agost

Al nord, la 34a Brigada, sota el comandament del General Major Richard von Kraewel, tenia vuit batallons (encara no disposava de la seva artilleria perquè encara no s'havia finalitzat el transport i estava al costat oposat del riu Mosa). L'atac va començar a les 2.30 h des de Hermée i van bombardejar amb metralla per a desorganitzar la infanteria belga. Un batalló es va dirigir cap a Pontisse i la resta va romandre a Herstal, on va començar una lluita de casa per casa en contra les tropes belgues i la Garde Civique. Després van prendre Prealle sota el foc envoltant de les fortaleses de Liers i de Pontisse.  Les tropes del Major von der Oelsnitz van arribar a Lieja i gairebé van capturar al general Leman. A l'alba la brigada estava en un terreny elevat al nord-oest d'Herstal i havien patit moltes baixes. Les tropes belgues van contraatacar des de Lieja i els alemanys van ser bombardejats des dels forts de Liers i Pontisse. A les 10.15 h, el general Kraewel va ordenar la retirada, que s'havia de fer entre els forts i que va provocar moltes més víctimes. La retirada es va fer fins al riu Mosa a Lixhe, amb pèrdues de 1.180 homes.

L'avanç de la 27a Brigada, sota el comandament del Coronel von Massow, va ser lent perquè les cases, tanques i bardisses dificultaven el seu moviment. Les tropes alemanyes que estaven en una posició defensiva més enllà d'Argentau van ser fortament bombardejades pels forts Wandre i Barcheron, on la desorganització i confusió va fer que els alemanys es disparessin entre ells, així com els belgues. A l'alba la brigada havia arribat al fort de Wandre però l'arribada de reforços belgues va obligar el general Massow ordenar la retirada d'Argenteau. A l'esquerra, una segona columna va arribar fins a Blegny, a l'est de fort Barcheron, però es va retirar a Battice quan es va a donar a conèixer el desenvolupament de les altres columnes.

Al sud-est, l'11a Brigada, sota el comandament del General Major von Wachter va atacar a través de Saint Hadelin i Magnée, on va haver d'avançar en una columna estreta a causa dels edificis que hi havia al llarg del camí. El foc d'armes petites van obligar els alemanys a moure's entre les cases retardant el seu l'avanç. No van a aconseguir arribar a Romsée fins a les 5.30 h, on el 14è Regiment belga havia pogut preparar les defenses. Els belgues van ser derrotats, però només després d'haver utilitzat l'artilleria que havia estat portat cap al front i l'avanç cap a Beyne-Heusay es va empantanegar.  La incertesa sobre els flancs va fer que Wachter fes una retirada pels barrancs que hi ha a l'est de Magnée, per trobar la coberta del bombardeig dels forts Pieron i Chaudfontaine.

Al sud del riu Vesdre, l'avanç de la 38a Brigada va començar el 5 d'agost a les 20.00 h amb la 43a Brigada en reserva. Els atacants van ser greument bombardejats mentre que encara estaven en el punt de partida i a més se'ls va empitjorar les coses per una tempesta elèctrica, els bloquejos de les carreteres i la dificultat dels camins forestals. En Esneux i Poulseur, els subministraments dels alemanys van ser saquejats per la Guàrdia Cívica i van haver de ser recuperada. Al bosc a l'est de Fort Boncelles hi va haver un enfrontament i el foc de les armes petites belgues van ferir al comandant de la 43a Brigada el General Major von Hülsen, colpejant la part posterior de la columna provocant la confusió. Les defenses belgues van ser capturades al matí, però les brigades s'havien dispersat; el poble de Boncelles va ser capturat però el foc de la fortalesa va obligar els alemanys a fugir cap al bosc del nord-oest. Més tard es van fer atacs contra els turons del sud i del sud-oest d'Ougrée. Hi va haver escaramusses durar tot el dia, amb moltes baixes al voltant de fort de Boncelles i quan va escassejar la munició de la 43a Brigada es va retirar a Fontin, i la 38a Brigada ja refeta es va retirar a Lince. Els atacs des del nord i el sud havien fracassat.

A les 3.00 h del 6 d'agost, els alemanys van dur a terme el primer atac aeri a una ciutat europea quan el dirigible Zeppelin Z-VI va bombardejar Lieja, però va tenir poc efecte i va ocasionar la mort de nou civils. L'aeronau va ser disparada per l'artilleria belga i va aterrar a prop de Bonn, fent un aterratge forçós a causa de la pèrdua de gas.

El centre de la 14a Brigada va avançar a les 01.00 h, dirigit pels generals Otto von Emmich i Erich Ludendorff i va fer un ràpid avanç per Retinne, on les tropes belgues van cobrir el camí amb metralladores i van obligar els alemanys a ficar-se a cobert amb moltes baixes. El comandant de la brigada, el General Major von Wussow, i un comandant del regiment van ser ferits i Ludendorff es va fer càrrec de reunir els supervivents. Els belgues van ser rodejats i els alemanys van poder fer al voltant de 100 presoners. En Queue-du-Bois l'avanç va ser detingut amb combats de casa per casa, fins que es van portar dos canons obús i es va poder ocupar el poble a l'alba. Al migdia la brigada va arribar a un terreny elevat prop d'un convent cartoixà i van veure una bandera blanca a la Ciutadella sobre el riu. Es va enviar un oficial per a investigar i va descobrir que la bandera no havia estat autoritzada i que estava repudiada per Leman. Prop de 1.500 homes dels flancs van quedar aïllats durant la nit perquè es van tallar les comunicacions que tenien amb les unitats de la part posterior i no van poder rebre municions. Durant el matí, Emmich es va arriscar a ocupar els ponts defensats de Lieja per a poder ocupar la ciutat. El 165è Regiment d'Infanteria va travessar el riu i va arribar a la porta del nord-oest de la ciutat sense trobar resistència i van capturar nombrosos soldats d'infanteria de l'exèrcit belga. Ludendorff va portar el 27è Regiment d'Infanteria cap a la Ciutadella confiant que ja estava capturada però es va trobar només amb la guarnició que la defensava i que es negava a rendir-se.

Es va capturar la ciutat i els ponts del riu Mosa, amb la majoria de les línies ferroviàries intactes. Emmich va enviar agents per a contactar amb les altres brigades; l'11a Brigada va avançar durant la nit a través de foc d'artilleria del Fort Chaudfontain, va arribar a Lieja al migdia i va formar una línia defensiva al llarg del costat oest de la ciutat. La 24a, 27a Brigada i la resta de l'11a Brigada van entrar a la ciutat i va començar les operacions per a capturar els forts.

Defensa belga, 6–7 d'agost

En el matí del 5 d'agost, el capità Brinckman, l'agregat militar de l'Imperi Alemany a Brussel·les, es va reunir amb el General Leman per a exigir-li la rendició de les fortaleses. Leman es va negar i una hora més tard va començar un atac sobre els forts de la riba oriental (Chaudfontaine, Fléron, Evegnée, Barchon i Pontisse).

Un atac sobre el riu Mosa en la confluència del riu Vesdre va fracassar. Els alemanys van penetrar breument la línia entre el fort Barchon i el Mosa, però van tornar de nou amb un contraatac de l'11a Brigada. Al final de la tarda i durant la nit la infanteria alemanya va atacar en cinc columnes: dos al nord, una a l'est i dos al sud. Encara que els atacs van ser defensats per l'artilleria pesant, la infanteria alemanya van ser rebutjada amb grans pèrdues.

L'atac a l'Ourthe va fer retrocedir als defensors entre els forts, però abans els contraatacs de la temporada 9a, 12a i 15a Brigada van comprovar l'avanç alemany. Just abans de l'alba, un petit grup d'assalt alemany va intentar segrestar al general Leman que estava en el Quarter General  en la rue Sainte Foi. Alarmat per trets al carrer, Leman i el seu personal van poder fugir lluitant contra l'escamot atacant, deixant una vintena de morts i ferits enrere.

La cavalleria alemanya es va traslladar al sud de Visé per rodejar la ciutat i Léman decidir que la 3a Divisió s'hauria de retirar cap a l'oest del riu Gete per a unir-se a l'exèrcit de campanya belga.

Leman va descobrir que les unitats de cinc cossos alemanys s'enfrontaven amb els defensors i que el  Cos de Cavalleria va envoltar la zona fortificada des del nord. Leman va ficar a 3a la tercera Divisió entre els forts Loncin i Hollogne per a començar la retirada cap a Gete. Les tropes de la fortalesa es van concentrar en els forts en comptes del perímetre i Leman van establir un nou quarter general al sud del fort Loncin, a la part occidental de la ciutat.

L'artilleria alemanya va bombardejar els forts i el fort Fléron va quedar fora d'acció quan els mecanismes de les seves cúpules van ser destruïdes pel foc d'artilleria.

Durant la nit del 6 al 7 d'agost la infanteria alemanya van ser capaç d'avançar entre els forts i durant la matinada del 7 d'agost, el general Ludendorff va prendre el comandament de l'atac. Va instal·lar dos canons obús, va lluitar pel poble de Queue-du-Bois des d'un terreny alt amb vistes a Lieja, i va capturar la ciutadella de Lieja. Ludendorff va enviar emisaris a Léman amb la bandera de treva per exigir la rendició però Leman es va negar.

El setge

8–16 d'agost

El General Major von Bulow va donar el comandament de les operacions de setge de Lieja al general Karl von Einem, comandant del ,  i  Cos. Aquests tres cossos estaven situats a la frontera belga el 8 d'agost.

A Lieja, el 7 d'agost, Emmich va enviar oficials d'enllaç per contactar amb les brigades disperses al voltant de la ciutat. Una part de l'11a Brigada va avançar a la ciutat i es va reunir amb les tropes que estaven a la franja occidental. La 27a Brigada va arribar el 8 d'agost juntament amb la 14a Brigada i la resta de l'11a Brigada.

El fort Barcheron va caure després d'un bombardeig de morters i la 34a Brigada es va fer càrrec de la defensa del pont sobre el riu Mosa en Lixhe. En el front sud la 38a i 43a Brigada es van dirigir cap a Theux, després de rebre un informe fals que deia que les tropes belgues estaven atacant des de Lieja i Namur.

En la nit del 10 a l'11 d'agost, Einem va ordenar al ,  i  Cos la defensa dels fronts de l'est i sud-est de Lieja a mesura que fossin arribant i assigna la captura dels forts Liers, Pontisse, Evegnée i Fléron al  Cos i dels forts Chaudfontaine i Embourg al  Cos, mentre que el  Cos s'encarregava de vigilar el flanc sud.

Abans que arribessin les ordres, el fort Evegnée va ser capturat després d'un bombardeig. El  Cos va aïllar el fort Pontisse el 12 d'agost i durant la tarda va començar el bombardeig dels forts Pontisse i Fléron amb morters de defensa costanera de 380 mm i obusos de 420 mm. L'artilleria pesant del  Cos va començar a disparar contra el fort Chaudfontaine, el fort Pontisse es va rendir i el  Cos va travessar el riu Mosa per a atacar el fort Liers.

El fort Liers caure durant el matí del 14 d'agost i la guarnició de la fortalesa Fléron es va lliurar a la tarda després d'un bombardeig amb morters Minenwerfer. El  Cos i la 17a Divisió es van traslladar cap al nord i el  Cos va anar al sud de la línia de ferrocarril de Lieja-Brussel·les.

El 15 d'agost va començar un bombardeig als forts de l'oest de la ciutat. El fort Boncelles va caure durant el matí i el fort Lantin durant la tarda. El fort Loncin va ser devastat pels canons de 420 mm i el fort Léman va ser capturat. Els forts Hollogne i Flémalle es van lliurar al matí del 16 d'agost després d'un breu bombardeig.

Conseqüències

Baixes
H. Herwig va escriure el 2009 que l'exèrcit belga va tenir 20.000 baixes a Lieja i que el 8 d'agost de l'atac alemany havia costat 5.300 homes. Altres fonts donen belga morts o ferits i 4.000 presoners.

Anàlisi
El 1r, 2n i 3r Exèrcit alemany ja van quedar lliures al matí del 17 d'agost per a reprendre el seu avanç cap a la frontera francesa. L'exèrcit de campanya belga es va retirar del riu Gete cap a Anvers entre el 18 i el 20 d'agost i Brussel·les va ser capturada sense oposició el 20 d'agost. El setge de Lieja havia durat onze dies en comptes dels dos dies previstos pels alemanys. Durant divuit dies, la resistència belga de l'est del país va retardar les operacions alemanyes i va donar un avantatge a les forces franco-britàniques al nord de França i de Bèlgica.

En «Graf Schlieffen und der Weltkrieg» (El General Schlieffenn i la Guerra Mundial) (1921) Wolfgang Foerster va escriure que el calendari de desplegament alemany havia exigit als seus exèrcits a arribar a una línia de Thionville a Sedan i Mons durant la 22a jornada de mobilització (23 d'agost) i que es va aconseguir abans del previst.

El «Bulletin Belge des Sciences Militaires» (Butlletí Belga de Ciències Militars) (setembre de 1921) va confirmar un retard de quatre dies.

En el primer volum de «Der Weltkrieg» (La Guerra Mundial) (1925), els historiadors oficials alemanys van escriure que la Batalla de Lieja havia acabat just a temps perquè els exèrcits alemanys comencessin la seva marxa cap a la vall del Mosa i que la línia de tren d'Aquisgrà fins a Lieja estava en funcionament abans del 15 d'agost, encara que eren necessàries les reparacions del túnel de Nasproue i de la línia en Verviers, on 17 locomotores s'havien estavellat juntes. Els esforços de la 14a Brigada, Emmich i Ludendorff van ser elogiats i es va destacar el valor de l'artilleria súper-pesada.

JE Edmonds, historiador i oficial britànic, va escriure el 1926 que el general Alexander von Kluck havia considerat que la resistència de les guarnicions de Lieja havien causat un retard de 4-5 dies. El cos més avançat del 1r Exèrcit va arribar a una línia de Hasselt i Gorsem, a 64 km a l'oest d'Aquisgrà, entre el 7-17 d'agost i la resistència de les guarnicions de Lieja va poder evitar que els alemanys d'arribar a la zona el 10 d'agost.

El general Karl von Bülow, comandant del 2n Exèrcit alemany, va escriure que Lieja havia estat assetjada per sis brigades compostes i un cos de cavalleria, i que el 10 d'agost l'OHL (Comandament suprem de l'exèrcit alemany) tenia l'esperança de començar l'avanç de la frontera francesa tres dies després però que el setge retarda la marxa fins al 17 d'agost.

L'historiador britànic Charles Cruttwell va comentar el 1934 que la valenta resistència belga en Lieja va sorprendre els alemanys, però no van interferir en els seus plans i que la causa més greu del seu retard van ser les demolicions dels túnels ferroviaris i dels ponts.

Sewell Tyng va escriure el 1935 que l'avanç cap al sud dels exèrcits alemanys havien començat al 14 d'agost després que caiguessin tots els forts de la riba dreta.

El 2001, l'historiador militar Hew Strachan va escriure que l'avanç alemany s'havia retardat per 48 hores a causa que la concentració dels cossos actius alemanys no s'havia fet fins al 13 d'agost.

L'efecte destructiu de l'artilleria pesant alemanya i austríaca sobre les fortaleses franceses i belgues el 1914 va donar lloc a una pèrdua de confiança de les fortificacions, i es va retirar gran part de l'artilleria dels forts de França i de Rússia per a reforçar als exèrcits de campanya.

Homenatge i memòria

França va atorgar a la ciutat de Lieja la Legió d'Honor el 1914. Les tropes de campanya belga i les fortaleses van rebre el mèrit anomenat «resistència de Lieja» perquè aquesta resistència va enderrerir l'avanç de l'exèrcit alemany al voltant d'una setmana a partir de la programació original i aquests dies van ser molt valuosos per a la preparació dels aliats a l'oest.

En París, el café vienés va canviar de nom a café de Lieja. El carrer «Berlin» i l'estació de la línia 13 del metro de París amb el mateix nom es van reanomenar «Liège» (Lieja) l'1 de desembre de 1914.

La Medalla de Lieja va ser atorgada a l'abril de 1920 als defensors dels militars de la ciutat de Lieja que van participar en la batalla de Lieja. Posteriorment, es va concedir la «Medalla dels Presos Polítics» als residents de la ciutat de Lieja que van ser condemnats amb prou feines de presó per un tribunal alemany després de la batalla.

De la dotzena de fortaleses construïdes per Brialmont, set estan obertes al públic i es poden visitar: Loncin, Lantin, Flémalle, Hollogne, Pontisse, Barchon i Embourg. Loncin és un cementiri militar i un monument commemoratiu des de l'explosió del 15 d'agost de 1914. Es va restaurar Lantin i presenta les aparences d'una fortalesa de 1888, ja que no es va rearmar entre les guerres mundials. No s'ha rehabilitat Chaudfontaine però es pot visitar en certes circumstàncies.

El Mémorial Interallié (Memorial interaliat) és un memorial construït el 1928 sobre el turó de Cointe, a Lieja. El memorial està format per l'església del Sagrat Cor i Nostra Senyora de Lurdes com a edifici religiós i una torre com a monument civil. Al 4 d'agost de 2014 es va commemorar el centenari de l'inici de la Primera Guerra Mundial, on van assistir molts caps d'Estat.

Notes

Referències

Bibliografia

Enllaços externs

 German Atrocities, 1914: A History of Denial
 German Official History map of the advance to Liège OÖLB
 German and Belgian Order of Battle, Lüttich [Liège] 3–7 August 1914
 The Battle of Liège, 1914
 Siege of Liège, 5–15 August 1914
 The Fortresses of Liège
 Sambre–Marne–Yser (French)

Operacions de la Primera Guerra Mundial
Història de Lieja
Batalles del 1914
Lieja

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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2015 has been a great year for Shenandoah University, from our sports teams to our Conservatory; we have had some amazing performances. At the end of each year, it's always good to take a look back on all of the accomplishments. The amount of talent that is on the SU campus is unbelievable and often times overlooked.
The Conservatory has had multiple musicals, plays, and concerts going on during each semester. One from 2015 would be the incredible performance of "The Trojan Women," which was done this past fall. The students who were a part of this performance took you into modern day Syria and shed some light on important current events. To name a few others… "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Romeo & Juliet," and also we can't forget about the amazing concerts done in Armstrong Hall as well.
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