This Preservation Brief provides information on how earthquakes affect historic buildings, how a historic preservation ethic can guide responsible retrofit decisions, and how various methods of seismic rehabilitation can protect human lives and historic structures. The Brief provides a description of the most common vulnerabilities of various building construction types and the seismic strengthening methods most often needed to remedy them. A glossary of technical terms is also provided at the end of the Brief. Undertaking the seismic rehabilitation of a historic building is a process that requires careful planning and execution, and the coordinated work of architects, engineers, code officials, contractors, and agency administrators. Project personnel working together can ensure that the architectural, structural, financial, programmatic, cultural, and social values of historic buildings are preserved, while rendering them safe for continued use.

Standard ASCE/SEI 41-06 presents the latest generation of performance-based seismic rehabilitation methodology.

The preservation of heritage architecture is a cultural objective rigorously pursued by communities and nations wishing to promote their history, civilisation and aesthetic achievements. Structures built in the remote past by traditional methods have suffered the consequences of extreme loading events, such as earthquakes, over long time periods. Retrofitting is an approach based on recent technological developments and scientific knowledge, whereby modern construction methods and materials are applied to the repair and strengthening of historical structures. This book aims to inform on current retrofitting techniques, their application to various types of historical architecture and their effectiveness to fulfil their purpose.Retrofitted structural forms covered in the book vary widely from age old places of worship, such as churches, mosques and temples, as well as castles and palaces to more modern, distinguished private residences or public buildings, some of them designed by well known architects. Their methods of construction range from traditional, such as stone or brick masonry to more recent textile block systems and even reinforced concrete frameworks. Reference is made to detailed visual inspections of damaged structure providing valuable insight into possible causes of failure; such inspections are usually combined with material characterisation which is an essential input to numerical modelling for assessing the behaviour of the structure before and after retrofitting. The book describes strengthening techniques for masonry walls including re-pointing, injection grouting and the use of steel ties. The use of reinforced concrete is proposed in the form of cast-in-place walls, jackets or tie-beams; that of carbon fibre reinforced laminates for strengthening walls and slabs. Innovative use of materials, such as shape memory alloys, self-compacting concrete or thin lead layers is also suggested. Particular attention is given to methods for moderating the consequences of destructive earthquakes. Seismic energy absorbing devices and base isolation systems are two effective means of providing protection against future seismic events although their application is often met with many technical challenges in practice.Retrofitting of Heritage Structures Against Earthquakes will be of interest to members of academic institutions, government or private cultural preservation establishments and specialist consultant engineers.The book contains very practical, technical advice on many issues; this would be of considerable interest to construction companies specialising in repairs and maintenance of historical structures.

Adobe, or mud brick, has been widely used as a building material in the American Southwest, including California. The vulnerability of many original adobe structures to damage or destruction from earthquakes has been of great concern. The guidelines presented here address the practical aspects of this problem and represent the culmination of 12 years of research and testing on the seismic retrofitting of adobe buildings. These guidelines can assist in the planning of seismic retrofitting projects consistent with both conservation principles and established public policy.

Excerpt from The Seismic Retrofit of Historic Buildings, Keeping Preservation in the Forefront Reinforcing a historic building to meet new construction requirements, as prescribed by many building codes, can destroy much of a historic building's appearance and integrity. This is because the most expedient ways to reinforce a building according to such codes are to impose structural members and to fill irregularities or large openings, regardless of the placement of architectural detail. The results can be quite intrusive (see illus. However, structural reinforcement can be introduced sensitively. In such cases, its design, placement, patterning, and detailing respect the historic character of the building, even when the reinforcement itself is visible. Three important preservation principles should be kept in mind when undertaking seismic retrofit projects: Historic materials should be preserved and retained to the greatest extent possible and not replaced wholesale in the process of seismic strengthening; New seismic retrofit systems, whether hidden or exposed, should respect the character and integrity of the historic building and be visually compatible with it in design; and, Seismic work should be reversible to the greatest extent possible to allow removal for future use of improved systems and traditional repair of remaining historic materials. It is strongly advised that all owners of historically significant buildings contemplating seismic retrofit become familiar with The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, which are published by the National Park Service and cited in the bibliography of this publication. These standards identify approaches for working with historic buildings, including preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration. Code-required work to make buildings functional and safe is an integral component of each approach identified in the Standards. While some seismic upgrading work is more permanent than reversible, care must be taken to preserve historic materials to the greatest extent possible and for new work to have a minimal Visual impact on the historic appearance of the building. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

By Anne E. Grimmer, et al. These are the first set of official guidelines on how to make changes to improve energy efficiency and preserve the character of historic buildings. The Guidelines are an important addition to current discussions about sustainability and achieving greater energy efficiency, which have focused primarily on new buildings to date. This authoritative guide enhances overall understanding of basic preservation principles. Shows specific examples of appropriate treatments and the consequences of inappropriate treatments. Also, includes list of technical guidance publications. Other related products: Improving Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/024-005-01294-0?ctid=1317 A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating With Energy Star: Sealing Air Leaks and Adding Attic Insulation is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/055-000-00684-9 The Seismic Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/024-005-01322-9 Renovation & Historic Preservation resources collection can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/taxonomy/term/447/renovation-historic-preservation Real Estate product collection can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/consumer-home-family/real-estate