Conservation Of Historic Stone Buildings And Monuments

It has become obvious that public policy will play a critical role in determining what portion of our architectural heritage will be passed on to future generations and what portion will be lost to deterioration, development, and natural hazards. In developed nations, as much as 10% of the built environment is deemed of sufficient cultural and historic importance to be given local or national listing. At the international level, UNESCO maintains a World Heritage List that includes many stone monuments. While the past two decades have witnessed a growing body of research devoted to understanding the fundamental mechanisms of damage to stone and to developing strategies for the conservation of stone, virtually no research has been conducted on the quantification of the economic role of stone buildings and structures as well as the valuation of cultural property. In order to introduce the tools and methods of economic analysis to the public policy debate on the preservation of cultural property, a multidisciplinary team of physical scientists worked with social scientists to explore how societal, economic, and ethical considerations might be integrated with technological options to lead to informed policy decisions. Recognizing that economic analyses must rest on firm technical data and sound conservation options, the state of our knowledge of mechanisms and rates of damage, the diagnosis of condition, and the evaluation of treatment options were subjected to critical review; special attention was given to the identification of promising, innovative areas of research. This volume represents an important first step in rationalizing the decision-making process for the setting of public policy in the preservation of our architectural heritage. It will be of interest not only to those actively engaged in research and conservation on stone structures, but also to those concerned with urban planning, public policy, economic analysis, and environmental standards setting. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to identify critical gaps in our knowledge of the deterioration mechanisms for treated and untreated historically important stone; to suggest innovative approaches to the study of deterioration mechanisms and novel remedial measures for treated and untreated historically important stone; and to address the socioeconomic factors that determine preservation actions for our architectural heritage.

Since its publication in 1982 Sir Bernard Feilden's Conservation of Historic Buildings has become the standard text for architects and others involved in the conservation of historic structures. Leading practitioners around the world have praised the book as being the most significant single volume on the subject to be published. This third edition revises and updates a classic book, including completely new sections on conservation of Modern Movement buildings and non-destructive investigation. The result of the lifetime's experience of one of the world's leading architectural conservators, the book comprehensively surveys the fundamental principles of conservation in their application to historic buildings, and provides the basic information needed by architects, engineers and surveyors for the solution of problems of architectural conservation in almost every climatic region of the world. This edition is organized into three complementary parts: in the first the structure of buildings is dealt with in detail; the second focuses attention on the causes of decay and the materials they affect; and the third considers the practical role of the architect involved in conservation and rehabilitation. As well as being essential reading for architects and others concerned with conservation, many lay people with various kinds of responsibility for historic buildings will find this clearly written, jargon-free work a fruitful source of guidance and information.

First published in 1996, this volume has been substantially updated to reflect new research in the conservation of stone monuments, sculpture, and archaeological sites.

One of the problems which beset the practical conservation of stone buildings is the fragmentation of the disciplines involved. This book, with both volumes now available as one invaluable paperback, brings these disciplines together by the involvement of contributors with different experiences and approaches to the same material. Part one is an introduction to the complexities and background history of stone conservation followed by the most comprehensive description yet produced of the building and decorative stones used in the British Isles. In part two, practitioners involved in stone conservation describe ways in which major structural masonry problems, secondary building problems and different stone surface conditions may be treated. A variety of building types and environments has been used to ensure that the broad scope of common problems is covered. This second part of the book will be of practical value to art historians, archaeologists, architects, surveyors and engineers, masonry contractors and sculpture conservators in solving problems and in learning to use each other's skills and experience.

Winner of the RIBA Book Award, this important and timely publication brings together contributions from leading stone conservation practitioners. It discusses the philosophical principles on which stone conservation is founded and the need to understand the full history and development of a building before starting work. Other topics covered in this book include consolidation, cleaning, and the replacement of stone; conservation of different stone types, including limestone, sandstone, and marble; problems of dealing with polychrome stone; and finally, issues relating to church monuments and graveyards, taking account of the need for good maintenance and health and safety requirements. The book is illustrated with the authors' own examples of stone conservation in practice. Architects, surveyors and craftsmen involved in the conservation of stone structures will find this both a practical and useful reference work.

Is research in stone conservation “on the rocks?” This volume, part of the GCI's Research in Conservation series, offers an in-depth critical appraisal of the status of stone conservation research today, identifying areas of strength and weakness in the field as a whole. C. A. Price, a noted British archaeological conservation scientist, discusses recent research on the causes of stone decay, as well as current preventive measures, assessment tools, and treatment durability. He also reviews current research on methods of evaluating the effectiveness of these methodologies and treatments. The book includes a comprehensive survey of the literature, draws from conversations with professionals in the field, and provides recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of research, including the improvement of training, symposia, and research programs and the establishment of conservation policy.