Conservation Principles for Concrete of Cultural Significance

Conservation Principles for Concrete of Cultural SignificanceOver the last two hundred years, concrete has been used to produce a remarkably rich and diverse legacy of buildings and structures that are increasingly recognized for their cultural significance. With this growing recognition comes the need for protection and conservation. However, concrete conservation is still a relatively new field with limited availability of guiding resources. Conservation Principles for Concrete of Cultural Significance

Over the last two hundred years, concrete has been used to produce a remarkably rich and diverse legacy of buildings and structures that are increasingly recognized for their cultural significance. With this growing recognition comes the need for protection and conservation. However, concrete conservation is still a relatively new field with limited availability of guiding resources. Conservation Principles for Concrete of Cultural Significance intends to fill that gap, recognizing that much knowledge can be drawn from best practices in general repair of concrete; however, historic structures demand additional care to ensure that any work performed retains their cultural significance.

Conservation Principles for Concrete of Cultural Significance provides a framework for architects, engineers, conservators, contractors, and stewards to make sound, informed decisions for conserving culturally significant concrete buildings and structures by referencing both concrete repair standards and international conservation principles. The principles outlined in this document are meant to provide a logical approach to concrete conservation, leading practitioners through the typical conservation methodology, from investigation to the development of conservation strategies to implementation and maintenance. Its underlying premise is that concrete, in all its guises, may be of cultural significance and deserves a careful, knowledge-based approach to its care in order to sustain it for future generations. It has been extensively reviewed by experts in concrete conservation, and their contributions were valuable in shaping the final document and reaffirming its need.

This publication is an outcome of the Concrete Conservation project, which aims to improve the conservation of twentieth-century concrete heritage by tackling some of the challenges facing this emerging field with development of scientific research, model field projects, training, and publications. This project is part of the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative.