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Heritage and historic buildings should be safeguarded against ageing and other external threats via robust, evidence and observation based conservation strategies. Conservation of these priceless buildings and archaeological sites not only contributes to the preservation of our cultural heritage but also ensures that the technical knowledge they embody will not be lost. To achieve this, EPICentre's conservation engineering team works on condition assessment of historic buildings, diagnosis of structural and material damage, performance appraisal, using a multi hazard approach. Such hazards include seismicity and climate-induced threats such as flooding, wind-driven rain and thermal loading. EPICentre staff employ their expertise on a wide range of tools and methods including, but not limited to, on-site surveys, non-destructive techniques, laboratory testing, computer modelling, dynamic testing, and environmental monitoring.
EPICentre staff have worked on a multitude of historic buildings and sites around the world from the UK to Italy, Turkey, Algeria, Jordan, Nepal and the Philippines. Based on our holistic approach, tailored case-specific strengthening and retrofitting solutions are developed on a case by case basis. For the retrofit of historic rubble masonry churches exposed to seismic hazard we have developed in collaboration with industry a patented dissipative device to be mounted with metallic ties.
Stormlamp: Protecting our lighthouses for the safety of mariners
Epicentre Projects in this field:
- A Multi-Hazard Platform for the Vulnerability Assessment of Cultural Heritage Assets
- PERPETUATE
- NIKER
- Earthen Architecture Initiative: Seismic Retrofit Project in Peru
- PARNASSUS
- Mould Growth Testing and Benchmarking
- STORMLAMP - Structural behaviour of rock mounted lighthouses at the mercy of impulsive waves
- Preservation of Rubens' ceiling canvases at Banqueting House
- Dissipating Devices for Seismic Protection of Masonry Structures
- Strain modelling in historic tapestries