Engineering History And Heritage

In an effort to encourage the development of course material and new approaches to history, presents facts, stories, and technical information on civil engineering past and present. Some of the 25 papers look at specific landmarks, including the Mosely Riveted Wrought Iron Arch. Others survey parts of the US and describe field trips or explore such topics as designing and constructing medieval cathedrals, aesthetics, underground structures, and the pyramids. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This collection contains 59 papers presented at the Third National Congress on Civil Engineering History and Heritage at the ASCE National Convention, held in Houston, Texas, October 10-13, 2001.

Marking the 150th anniversary of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 22 papers from the November meeting are presented. Major topics treated by engineers and other scholars include the birth and early development of American civil engineering, historic development of U.S. transportation systems, history of building materials and methods, historic water supply systems, preservation case studies, and international perspectives. The primary focus is on the development of theory and technology, as opposed to examinations of institutional structures or similar matters. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This volume contains a selection of papers whose content have been presented at the International conferences CIPHI on Cultural Heritage and History of Engineering at University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain, in recent years. The conference series is aimed at bringing together researchers, scholars and students from a broad range of disciplines referring to the History of Engineering and Cultural Heritage, in a unique multidisciplinary forum to stimulate collaboration among historians, architects, restaurateurs, and engineers. These papers illustrate, by treating specific emblematic topics and problems, technical developments in the historical evolution of engineering concerning cultural heritage. Thus, emphasis is given to a discussion of matters of cultural heritage with engineering history by reporting authors’ experiences and views. Topics treated include: reutilization of industrial heritage: the unique example of the Royal Segovia Mint in Spain; the image of factories; Pedro Juan De Lastanosa and “the twenty-one books of devices and machines of Juanelo”; the historical development of paper-mills and their machines in South Latium during 19th century; a virtual reconstruction of a wave-powered flour mill from 1801; 3D modelling and animation study of the industrial heritage wonders; a new model of the hydraulic machine known as “el artificio de Juanelo”; and the mystery of one Havana portrait, on the first steam machine in Cuba. This work has been made possible thanks to the invited authors who have enthusiastically shared this initiative and who have spent time and effort in preparing the papers in much more detail that in the conference presentations.

The present Structural Engineering Document (SED) is a compilation of contributions devoted to the vast topic of history of structural engineering as well as interventions on heritage structures and structures of high cultural values. Various, some-times opposed, viewpoints and approaches are expressed and presented. The rather heterogeneous and controversial nature of the content of this SED shall stimulate lively discus-sions within the structural engineering community who needs to increase the awareness of historical and cultural aspects of structures and structural engineering. Current structural engineering methods and practice are only at the very begin-ning of effective engineering, really integrating historical and cultural aspects in the assessment of existing structures and in intervention projects to adapt or modify structures of cultural values for future demands. Knowing the past is indispensable for modern structural engineering!

This collection contains 17 papers presented at the Fifth National History and Heritage Congress at the 2004 ASCE Annual Conference and Exposition, held in Baltimore, Maryland, October 20-23, 2004.

The word conservation, when used in the context of the preservation of built heritage, implies an intrinsically complex concept that evolved over time, since it has been influenced by the perception of history throughout time. This volume emphasises why an understanding of the cultural evolution of the conservation approach must be considered a prerequisite for architects and engineers if they are to cooperate in full harmony with historic-artistic culture for the preservation of global built heritage. In particular, the volume highlights how, during the second half of the last century, the preservation process also involved engineering – the science of making practical applications of knowledge – which, for a long time, made an uncritical use of techniques and materials and devised interventions on historical heritage that were heavily invasive. The volume also devotes special attention to the problems related to seismic risk, to which Italy, Greece and Portugal are particularly prone. Problems that emerge during the crisis and reconstruction phases are dealt with in detail, as is scheduled maintenance, as this latter approach always constitutes an improvement in the performance of the monument and is the most appropriate tool for the conservation of the built heritage. Finally, the volume collects examples of building restoration with case studies of many outstanding monuments. The work will appeal to professionals and academics in the broader fields of civil engineering (both geotechnical and structural engineering), architecture, art history, the history of architecture, restoration and cultural heritage management. This book will: Provide a critical reading of the history of conservation; Discuss materials and techniques of ancient architecture; Cover seismic vulnerability and preservation of the historic integrity of the monument; Advocate an approach based on programmed maintenance; Feature numerous case histories, including St Mark’s Basilica in Venice and the complex restoration of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.