Structural Design in Building Conservation

No building is properly conserved if it is not structurally sound. Consequently architects, engineers and conservation officers need an adequate grounding in the technology as well as in the materials and the historical origins of the building. Structural Design in Building Conservation deals with the design of structural interventions in historic buildings and shows how the associated technical choices affect the planning and architectural outcomes in a conservation project. It brings together theory with current conservation technology, discussing its possibilities in architectural expression and is particularly directed to students of architectural conservation technology. It combines a technical manual (with details), a text for practising engineers, and guidance through case studies, with good examples of repairs, strengthening, additions, and interventions, and with advice on the specialist literature. The book introduces the philosophy of structural interventions within the range of conservation theories and discusses current practice and the regulatory frameworks of various European countries.
It then outlines the main types of strengthening repairs and interventions in terms of building types and the structural nature of the main elements to be strengthened (linear structures, frames, plates and shells). Significant case studies are presented of historic mills, stone block buildings, neoclassical houses, historic reinforced concrete structures, and vaulting types.