Q: What is the purpose of the work requiring scaffolding surrounding the dome of the U.S. Capitol? How long is the work going to take? What is the estimated cost?
—Bud Carlsen, Loganville
A: The U.S. Capitol's dome is undergoing a $60 million restoration to repair more than 1,000 cracks and other deficiencies, the Architect of the Capitol's website states.
The dome has been surrounded by scaffolding for nearly two years. Major work hadn’t been done on the dome since 1959-60.
The project is scheduled to be finished in time for the presidential inauguration in January 2017, an AoC spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
The dome, which was constructed in the 1860s, was made from 9 million pounds of cast iron, which had become too weak to be welded in some areas and was “too brittle for standard bolts,” The Washington Post reported in 2013. Workers used special pins to repair the cracks, the paper reported.
The project is in the painting phase, during which 1,215 gallons of paint will be used to apply three layers to the dome. The dome is being painted “Dome White,” the AoC website states.
Glass also was replaced in the cupola windows.
For more information, updates and construction photos, go to www.aoc.gov/dome.
Q: Do we still have common law marriage in Georgia?
—Mary Edwards, Griffin
A: Common law marriages that were established before Jan. 1, 1997, are recognized in Georgia, according to state code 19-3-1.1.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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