Techniques and case studies compared

Stefania Landi (ICOMOS Italia)


Starting from a selection of case studies of conservation projects and plans, this lesson intends to stimulate a critical reflection on the state of the art in the field of concrete heritage conservation including structural strengthening. The ultimate aim is to draw attention, in the light of the case studies and projects selected, to some of the main open questions that make an interdisciplinary approach particularly necessary:

  • the contrast between the need to limit invasive investigations and the need to obtain representative data;
  • the difficult verification of reinforced concrete works according to current standards;
  • the specialised skills requested not only to conservation architects and structural engineers (which must be specifically trained to intervene on concrete architectures) but also to restoration workers;
  • technical issues that intersect with a main theoretical question: the coincidence between architecture and structure and the interdependence between structure and surface, where the latter often reveals the problems of the former when it is already too late.