Technological Advancements in Historic Preservation - Research Paper Example

Technological Advancements in Historic Preservation Building preservation is a practice that has existed for many years with many approaches being made in traditional building and construction to ensure that buildings are continuously sustainable. Building preservation enhances buildings in maximizing the usage of existing materials and infrastructures, reducing waste, and preserving the historical identity of older towns and other cities (WBDG). In most cases, sustainability of buildings is initiated through strategic preservation. Historic buildings have been designed with sustainable features that respond to both site and prevailing climate (WBDG). The effectiveness of sustainable features used to preserve traditional buildings and, when incorporated in modern buildings, those features can result in substantial energy savings. The current technologically improved sustainable preservation of buildings has, therefore, been derived and adapted to supplement the inherent sustainable features in many historical buildings without compromising the unique and historic character of such buildings. For example, the Adobe houses or those made of dried bricks are among the oldest buildings made of the most common materials that are known to man today (Old House Web). The adobe bricks were not fired initially but were sun-baked first and only then used in the construction process. These bricks consist of sand, clay, water, gravel and straw or grass that are mixed with hands in wooden moulds and then are being dried in the sun (Old House Web). As the adobe bricks are not fired in a kiln, the bricks never harden permanently but remain unstable during their life time. These bricks are, therefore, prone to shrinking as water content changes with their strength fluctuating over time: the higher the water content, the lower the strength (Old House Web). The adobe bricks, though having been successfully used in the buildings, cannot bond to metal, wood or stone as they exhibit greater movements than these materials. Attempts to bond these materials resulted in cracking, separating or twisting at the interfaces, which led to cracking and failure of the buildings in most of cases. This prejudiced the preservation of these buildings. In the majority of cases, where traditional methods may not present enough strength in buildings, other technologies in the modern building construction are used to reinforce these traditional buildings to ensure sustainability and preservation of a historic fabric (Fischetti, 42). The early adobe building foundations varied greatly according to their differences in local building construction and available materials, which resulted in great variability in these buildings, including their sustainability (Old House Web). Lack of professionals at planning or preservation stage of a huge number of traditional buildings has had a bad effect on those buildings, thus, numerous efforts to innovate and elaborate plans for preservation in these buildings have been made recently; though there has been a growing belief in the inclusion of planning and growth management in preservation of these buildings (WBDG). Though preserving a building has been recognized as an ultimate recycling of projects, the majority of preservationists in most of cases fight the stigma of historic buildings being inefficient and stress on the need to take daunting corrective measures in order to retrofit for energy saving devices and systems with the green sustainable design being increasingly popular in both construction and preservation of new industries (WBDG). These shortcomings in the traditional buildings and preservation approaches are continuously being reviewed though the improved technologies in both preservation of buildings and documentation of building projects so that to enhance effective preservation. The growing technological advances have made it possible to improve building preservation efficiency and accuracy with record keeping in architectural and construction projects being enhanced to improve preservation approaches in these buildings. As to historic buildings, preservation or rehabilitation of buildings was contemplated because the roof or walls of the buildings had marginally deteriorated; the problem of cracks in the floor and ceiling of such buildings became a burning issue. However, technological advancement through effective record keeping has made it possible to continuously maintain buildings as opposed to the breakdown maintenance carried out in traditional building preservation. Therefore, technology has improved building preservation making buildings more sustainable as compared to traditional buildings. Technology in Building Preservation Technology in preservation of buildings has made it possible for buildings to be increasingly sustainable while improving records that indicate preservation cycles, which increases sustainability of these buildings. One of the most remarkable technological breakthroughs in preservation of buildings involves use of technological sensors in preserving limestone buildings in the UK. Teams at Queen’s University, Belfast and Oxford University in London have developed sensors to monitor decay of limestone bricks following changes caused by rise in salt levels (Panushev and Pollalis 9). These sensors are to be installed at the boundary wall of Worcester College, Oxford and will help engineers to ensure that repairs are undertaken at the right moment and in the right place to avoid replacement of limestone blocks, especially in historical buildings. The use of technology and expertise in solving the problem of limestone decay in historical houses will, in addition, generate knowledge about types of limestone suitable to particular environments; this will greatly help in renovation and construction of new buildings (Panushev and Pollalis 9). Another breakthrough in building preservation was announced by Variance LLC. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Variance Eco-preservative - a high performance non-metallic preservative with superior environmental benefits in wood preservation (Variance LLC 427). This stabilized weather resistant wood is a technological breakthrough in providing high performance and environmental friendly preservation technique, “its unique ability to inhibit surface molds keeps wood looking better for longer, with less maintenance than timber protected though other preservative” (Variance LLC 427). This approach not only improves building preservation but also presents a choice that is environmentally friendly, making it an ideal approach in preserving wood and ensuring sustainability in new and historical buildings. Retrofitting is a method widely used in preservation of existing and new buildings to make them sustainable in terms of resource utilization. For example, a case study of 10 heritage buildings in Australia portrayed the increasing benefits of retrofitting especially when applied to existing buildings. The case study was carried out to establish and compare operational energies in heritage buildings, the best design solution to be used while implementing acceptable levels in building sustainability and possible interventions that might be used in improving sustainability of these buildings (Raniga and Wong, 2007). The study involved a retrofitted building with high ratings in sustainable resource utilization as a benchmark to rate nine other buildings which portrayed the immense benefits of retrofitting in preservation and sustainability of buildings (Raniga and Wong, 2007). Retrofitting results in improved heating and cooling energies as compared to typical conventional buildings. The 60L building in Australia is a good case portraying the benefits of retrofitting in building technologies. The building was completed in 2002, representing the ideals of modern buildings in several aspects, such as design and energy efficiency. Upon completion, the 60L building uses 30% of energy and 25% of water used in typical buildings of similar size and design (Weizsacker 113). The 60L building has an efficient energy usage having 80 percent reduction in lighting energy compared to a building of similar size. The building incorporates recycled materials to ensure energy embodiment within the building. These materials include recycled timber for doors, floors, new concrete second hand bricks and reinforcing steel (Weizsacker 113). The building has light colored ceilings to assist in reflection and diffusion of natural light, which drastically minimizes the use of electricity in lighting. Weizsacker (113) further elaborates that the building uses 75% less water compared to a standard building of the same size. This efficiency is achieved through technologically enhanced features that reduce water usage in urinals and low flush water toilets among other features. The building has features that enable water to be collected and re-used in the building to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Sealing eliminates the need of heating appliances required to keep the building warm. Wilkinson and Reed (286) noted that energy efficiency in retrofitted buildings has to cover installation of hybrid mechanical ventilations, in addition to heating and cooling mechanisms. The internal temperatures should be regulated naturally. The main energy usage in conventional buildings results in inefficient air-conditioning and cooling systems, which present a heavy burden to energy supply systems (Weizsacker 228). Natural lighting has a higher efficiency and comes with better ventilation. The two case studies portray the advantages that retrofitting has on cooling and heating efficiency in preserving historical buildings. Continued use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in certifying buildings has contributed in ensuring sustainability and preservation of buildings. As the green construction evolves rapidly in the building and construction, the role of a structural engineer in contributing to sustainable building has been diminished to being the ‘specifier’ of construction materials rather than the one designing sustainable structures (Weisenberger 146). The structural engineer has to make good decisions to enhance sustainability of a building. It is the choice of sustainable materials that has improved preservation of buildings as these materials have improved preservation features. A bright example of the aforementioned is the use of timber preserved under the Variance Eco-technology. Documentation Technology has improved the documentation process in buildings making preservation more effective, predictive and sustainable. The Integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a product of negotiated efforts by stakeholders in building projects to maneuver through complex project demands and enhance information flow among various players in building projects (RIB Software 1). BIM seeks to speed up project’s estimated time, to re-use information, facilitate budgets and cost control, as well as increase efficiency by enhancing maximum usage of available resources in any project (RIB Software 1). The software integrates all stakeholders in building projects, from the surveyors, cost estimators, architectures, civil engineers, building managers to occupants and owners, in order to improve communication; verifying drawings and consistency, checking the building constructability, defining and determining complex concrete placements in workflow is important to avoid possible conflicts between the structure and mechanical systems in establishing a standard modeling knowledge base which is to be used in future projects (Panushev and Pollalis). The information processed by each party in building construction is integrated into a central system that can be accessed by all the parties to enhance better flow of information in the system. In post occupancy, BIM is essential for both the users and owners of such buildings to ensure effective maintenance and better understanding the building’s structure during periodic maintenance throughout the building’s lifetime (Iverson et al. 7). BIM, in addition to enhancing effective use of information concerning buildings, enables owners to save costs and makes maintenance of such buildings less vigorous as complete information regarding each unit of the building is available. Generally, BIM ensures that all the data set and other information related to a specific building is available in the central platform, which is easily accessible, facilitating building preservations over its life time (Panushev and Pollalis). This has been possible through technological advancement in technical software development. Preservation of historical buildings has been improved through development of new technologies in building and construction. While historical buildings have required constant renovations with, in most cases, the necessity to preserve their identity, it is through technologically advanced materials that such renovations are undertaken in order to serve the required purpose. Retrofitting is currently being used to ensure historical buildings are sustainable in resource utilization. Treated wood that can withstand adverse environmental conditions for a long time is currently being used to strengthen weak structures in historical buildings, while other technologies, such as sensors used to detect limestone decay, offer relevant information regarding preservation of these buildings. Through these technological improvements the identity of historical buildings is maintained and necessary renovations are being made at the same time to preserve these historical buildings. Works Cited Variance LLC. EPA Approves Ward Winning Technology in Wood Preservation. Atlanta: NewsRx, 2008. Print. Fischetti C. David. Structural Investigation of Historical Buildings. NJ: Wiley & Sons, 2009. Iverson, Don, et al. An Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM). Guide to ASHRAE Members. 2010. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Old House Web. Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings. Forbes. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Panushev, S. Ivan., and Spiro N. Pollalis. 2006. A Framework for Delivery of Integrated Building Information Modeling. Joint International Conference on Computing and Decision Making in Civil and Building Engineering, June 14-16. Montreal Canada Process Engineering. Technology Today: Sensors Set In Stone. London: Centaur Communications Ltd, 2006. Print. Raniga, I. Usha, and James P. Wong. Retrofitting the Existing for the Future: Improving the Energy Consumption of Existing Residential Buildings Stocks With Heritage Values. RMIT University: Center of Design. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . RIB Software. Integrated Building-Information Modeling Increasing Project Visibility, Efficiency, and Control. RIB Software AG, 2009. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Weisenberger, Geoff. Sustainability and the Structural Engineer. ASCE, (2011), 146-150. DOI 10.1061/ (ASCE) SC. 1943-5576.0000110. Print. Weizsacker, V. Ernst. Factor Five: Transforming the Global Economy Through 80% Improvements in Resource Productivity. London: Earthscan, 2009. Print. WBDG. Sustainable Historic Preservation. Whole Building Design Guide, 2010. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. < http://www.wbdg.org/resources/sustainable_hp.php>. Willikinson, S.J., and R. Reed. Green Roof Retrofit Potential in the Central Business District. Journal of Property Management. 27(5), (2009), pp 284-301. Print. Read More