A great deal of research and literature has been produced on repairing concrete structures but very little aimed at conserving the character or appearance of historic examples. This volume offers guidance as to how that should be done. It includes a brief history of the use of the material and explains the criteria for listing before assessing decay mechanisms and determining appropriate repair strategies. A bibliography and case studies are also included.
Biography
The contents reflect the work of the Building Conservation and Research Team, their colleagues at Historic England, and their consultants and researchers, who together have many decades of accumulated experience in dealing with deteriorating building materials and systems of all types. This multi-disciplinary team of architects, surveyors, conservators and scientists are responsible for standard setting and research across a wide range of Historic England activities. The team specialises in dealing with the practical, technical and scientific aspects of building materials decay and their treatment. The aim has been to provide practical advice by advocating a common approach of firstly understanding the material or building element and why it is deteriorating, and then dealing with the causes. The books concentrate on those aspects which are significant in conservation terms, and reflect the requests for information received by Historic England.
"This is a publication with a particularly wide scope, and it will be of interest and use to those involved with the conservation of concrete in both structural and non-structural applications. The explanations and illustrations of deterioration mechanisms, the treatment of defects and the impact on appearance are particularly informative." - Deborah Lazarus, Engineering History and Heritage
"[Concrete] is very much worth reading for its passages on concrete’s history, the treatment and repair sections, and the case studies" – Marjorie Lynch, PE, PACI, President, Lynch Consulting Engineers, DPC
