A systematic approach towards restoration of heritage buildings a case study

IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology ISSN: 2319-1163
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Volume: 02 Issue: 03 | Mar-2013, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 229
A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TOWARDS RESTORATION OF
HERITAGE BUILDINGS- A CASE STUDY
Sayali Sandbhor1
, Rohan Botre2
1
Assistant Professor, Dept. of civil engineering, Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune, India,
2
Graduate scholar, Dept. of civil engineering, Purdue University, USA,
sayali.sandbhor@sitpune.edu.in, botre.rohan@gmail.com
Abstract
Heritage structures perform vital role in nation’s history, culture and signify the richness of it. To augment life and enhance strength,
their restoration is very important for the future generations to have knowledge about how mankind lived in past ages. Restoration
involves investigating, diagnosing and correcting deficiencies and deterioration of any structure. Identification of common defects and
problems faced in old structures and devising a systematic approach towards handling these issues is civil engineer’s obligation. A
case study throws light on the various problems encountered and the methods employed to tackle them. This paper focuses on such
problems and methodology to handle these problems while respecting structure’s cultural integrity with the help of a case study. It
also seeks to highlight the need for a greater awareness and the need to take precautionary measures of the immediate effects, and of
the long-term management issues of heritage structures.
Index Terms: Heritage structures, defects, evaluation, systematic approach etc.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Heritage buildings and monuments in any country are mute
testaments of its glorious past [Meli et. al, 2007]. India has a
very rich historic background which is evident from various
buildings, forts, temples, landscapes, objects of historic era.
Many of these were constructed several hundred years ago
when the Indian Civilization was at its peak. Their
architecture, design and construction at the time when
computers, code of practice, design guidelines, research
institutions and modern construction techniques did not exist
makes one to realize the wisdom and expertise of our
forefathers. These structures have managed to survive for
hundreds of years while most of the modern constructions
need repair after couple of years of service [Meli et. al, 2007].
Work is often performed to reverse decay or alterations made
to the building after its initial construction. Physical materials
of an earlier time, that might have been state of the art at the
time of construction, might have failed and now need
replacement with contemporary better functioning, but
aesthetically similar materials. Such reasons make it
mandatory to instigate a systematic approach in the area of
heritage conservation.
1.1 Restoration of heritage structure
Building restoration refers to the process of correctly revealing
the state of a historic building, as it looked in the past and
recovering the same by various measures while respecting its
heritage value. Restoration involves returning the existing
fabric of a place to a known earlier state by removing
accretions or by reassembling existing components without
introducing new materials. Conservation means the process of
retaining structure‟s historical, architectural, aesthetic, cultural
significance. Preservation stands for maintaining the fabric of
a place in its existing state and retarding deterioration whereas
reconstruction implies returning a place as nearly as possible
to a known earlier state and distinguished by the introduction
of materials into the fabric. Restoration is defined as the act or
process of accurately depicting the form, features, and
character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of
time by means of the removal of features from other periods in
its history and reconstruction of missing features from the
restoration period.
[http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/restore/restore_ind
ex.htm].
1.2 Need of the study
Most old cities have some monuments which represent the
religious, military, political or economic powers of the past.
The condition of such monuments is determined largely by
their present function and use. Monuments which have no
further utilization tend to decay rapidly, while monuments
which are still in use have a better chance of being maintained
[Steinberg F., 1996]. The extent of maintenance varies from
structure to structure leading to deterioration of the structure.
Restoration increases the total expected life of the structure by
strengthening it to withstand all imposed loads. If the structure
is not timely restored, its condition may worsen to an extent
such that it becomes very difficult to regain its original
condition. Restoration takes the structure to a new minimum

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strength level as seen from graph in Figure 1. It is necessary to
follow a precise methodology, whose main steps are survey,
diagnosis, safety evaluation, the choice of criteria and
techniques of interventions, and finally the controls [Croci
G.,2009].
Fig -1: Need for restoration
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The value of architectural heritage is not only in its
appearance, but also in the integrity of all its components as a
unique product of the specific building technology of its time
[http://iscarsah.icomos.org/content/principles]. Verifying the
structural reliability constitutes in itself a complex aspect of
the problem which cannot be solved based solely on structural
calculations. Complementary approaches involving historic
research, comparative analyses and monitoring are also
needed within the frame of a broader and more flexible
understanding [Roca P.,2011]. The periodic monitoring of
relevant parameters can help identify eventual deterioration
phenomena. Thus, dynamic tests, in conjunction with model
updating, are becoming reliable tools for non-destructively
assessing historical structures [Rainieri C., 2011]. Lot of work
has been done in the field of restoration in devising various
innovative techniques of restoration. Every restoration work
has its own challenges and ways to tackle them. These
challenges may include visual appearance, architectural
appearance, strength of the structure, present or proposed use
of the structure etc. Research paper by Oudatzi K. [2010],
attempts to use virtual 3D modelling in the field of restoration.
As per the study of Thiru K.P.Mohandas, major problems any
old structure face may be due to human negligence, human
vandalism, overloading of roof, raised ground water level,
wrong choice of materials, structural issues and climatic
problems. „Repair and strengthening guide for earthquake
damaged buildings in Gujarat‟, gives measures for
improvement of the seismic resistance of historic buildings. In
the study by Cancellieri S. et al [2011], an integrated
methodology concerning the diagnosis, based on non
destructive testing (NDT) and techniques, is presented in order
to better investigate materials and structures of historic
importance. For the investigation of the ancient structure of
Santa Maria in Gradi an integrated methodology has been
used, combining traditional investigations and different types
of NDT analysis, such as:
 Characterization of different period masonry materials,
through maps of not homogeneous areas, i.e. areas with
different type of bricks or stone blocks;
 Discovery of hidden structural elements, such as arches,
columns, choirs included in the existing masonry;
 The description of the original construction techniques
and typologies;
 Evaluation of structural performances through
determination of damage in fractured masonries;
 The detection and classification of surface damage;
 Examination of structural vulnerability through
investigation of physical/mechanical properties of
mortars, stones and bricks;
 Inspection of previous refurbishment and/or maintenance
techniques (injections, stitching armed joints).
L. Bertolini et al. [2011], infers that the conservation of RCC
buildings of the cultural heritage is a challenge, since it
requires the development of specific strategies aimed at
finding the best compromise between the restoration of
structural safety and the prevention of future damage and the
preservation of the original materials and surfaces. Study of
Yasser Korany [2011] states that the selected technique must
be consistent with aesthetics, function, and the requirements of
strength, ductility, and stiffness and provides an overview of
the traditional and recent techniques proven to be effective in
restoring heritage masonry structures. The special
requirements for restoration of heritage structures and the
main non-destructive evaluation methods that could be used to
assess their structural condition are examined.
3. SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
Restoration and conservation is a fine balancing act, learning
to judge just the right amount of intervention at the right time.
Restoration of architectural heritage requires a multi-
disciplinary approach. It is known that heritage structures are
meticulously designed and skilfully constructed structures. An
equally competent and compatible strategy is required for their
preservation. It should commence with an analysis to arrive at
the structural system and the mechanism of load transfer
[Kumar P., et.al, 2008].
As per Avrami E., et.al. [2000], in the cultural heritage
conservation field, we are consistently faced with challenges
on three fronts:
 Physical condition: Behaviour of materials and
structural systems, deterioration causes and
mechanisms, possible interventions, long-term efficacy
of treatments, etc.
Current
Rehabilitation
Actual condition without
rehabilitation
Past
Rehabilitation
Condition before commencing
new work
Current
Time
Previous design
minimum
New design
minimumCONDITIO
N OF
STRUCTU
RE
TOTAL LIFE OF
STRUCTURE

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 Management context: Availability and use of resources,
including funds, trained personnel, and technology;
political and legislative mandates and conditions; land
use issues, etc.
 Cultural significance and social values: Why an object
or place is meaningful, to whom, for whom it is
conserved, the impact of interventions on how it is
understood or perceived, etc.
All these challenges should be given due consideration to
arrive at the best possible technique of restoration which will
not only be effective but also economical. The proposed
approach leads a restorer to efficient restoration practice by
giving a logical sequence of various activities to be followed
in restoration works. Identification of various problems and
devising the most suitable method to tackle the same is the
restorer‟s task. Choosing the most appropriate treatment,
requires careful decision making about building‟s historical
significance, physical condition existing on the date of
restoration, proposed use and mandated code requirements etc
[http://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/four-treatments/treatment-
guidelines.pdf].
A general restoration approach shown in Figure 2 below may
be adopted as a basis or guide for taking up work of
restoration. According to the suggested systematic approach,
restoration of heritage structure involves evaluation of
structure to expose its actual condition. Evaluation is done
based on documents and physical evidences by assessment of
condition of structure which includes inspection, diagnosis
and cause analysis. Evaluation may be exploratory or
immediate. Immediate evaluation includes repairs of
immediate nature which are desirable or necessary. Hence
evaluation of the structural performance of buildings
submitted to severe loading conditions is the most valuable
source of knowledge regarding their weaknesses and the ways
they respond to extreme conditions. These extreme conditions
may be historic fire [Gomez Heras M., et.al, 2009],
weathering of material, chemical reactions, water seepage,
adverse weather conditions etc. Traces of their past
performance can be retrieved by careful examination of its
main elements or can be found in historic documents [Meli
et.al, 2007]. On the basis of the evaluation report, quantum of
deviation from original condition of the structure is known. It
should then be treated by a suitable treatment which may
include restoration, reproduction and reconstruction. The
encountered problems need strategic planning so as to device
suitable technique. Accordingly, a repair strategy can be
devised. Repairs may be desirable or necessary. Method to be
followed and the extent of changes to be made will depend
upon the class of structure and limiting alterations that can be
carried out
[http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/byelaws.htm].
Materials and features from the restoration period are
identified, based on thorough historical research. Next,
features from the restoration period are maintained, protected,
repaired and replaced, if necessary. It also includes removal of
features from other periods; missing features from the
restoration period may be replaced, based on documentary and
physical evidence, using traditional materials or compatible
substitute materials.
[http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/restore/restore_app
roach.htm].
3.1 Standards for Preservation, rehabilitation,
restoration and reconstruction
Guidelines lead the stakeholders such as historic building
owners and building managers, preservation consultants,
architects, contractors, and project reviewers to develop the
best suited approach prior to treatment The standards given
by „Archeology and historic preservation: secretary of the
Interior's standards and guidelines, The National Park Service,
U.S. are as follows [http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-
law/arch_stnds_8_2.htm]:
1. The historic character of a property should be retained
and preserved. The replacement of intact or repairable
historic materials or alteration of features, spaces, and
spatial relationships that characterize a property should be
avoided.
2. Each property should be recognized as a physical record
of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize,
consolidate, and conserve existing historic materials and
features should be physically and visually compatible,
identifiable and properly documented for future research.
Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction
techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize
a property should be preserved.
3. The existing condition of historic features should be
evaluated to determine the appropriate level of
intervention needed. Treatments that cause damage to
historic materials should not be used.
4. Deteriorated historic features should be repaired rather
than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires
replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature
should match the old in design, colour, texture, and,
where possible, materials. Replacement of missing
features should be substantiated by documentary and
physical evidence.
5. New additions and adjacent or related new construction
will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in
the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic
property and its environment would be unimpaired.
6. Replacement of missing features from the restoration
period should be substantiated by documentary and
physical evidence. A false sense of history should not be
created by adding conjectural features, features from other
properties, or by combining features that never existed
together historically.

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7. Reconstruction should be used to depict vanished or non-
surviving portions of a property when documentary and
physical evidence is available to permit accurate
reconstruction with minimal conjecture and should be
based on the accurate duplication of historic features and
elements. A reconstructed property should re-create the
appearance of the non-surviving historic property in
materials, design, colour, and texture.
Fig- 2: Systematic approach
Inspection
Diagnosis
Cause analysisAssessment of the
condition of the
structure
Collection of documents
and physical evidences
Rehabilitation of
heritage structure
Re-create missing features
Replace extensively
deteriorated features
Strategic planning to tackle
the encountered issues
Repair i.e. stabilize,
consolidate, and conserve
Protect and maintain
materials and features
Remove existing features from
other historic periods (other
than original)
Retain and preserve
the structure
Increased total expected
life of structure
Identify deviation from
original condition of structure
Major issues encountered:
 Discolouration, rusting, termite
attack
 Roofing leakages
 Damaged masonry and other units
 Destabilized core masonry
 Masonry cracks
 Structural weakness
 Damaged structural components
 Addition or subtraction of features
etc.
Exploratory
evaluation
Immediate
evaluation
Choosing a Treatment
Recommendations
on the condition
analysis
Reconstruction
Restoration
Reproduction
Repairs of
immediate
nature
Necessary
Desirable

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Hence effort of restoration should bring back the building to
its original form and beauty without necessarily sacrificing
authenticity. The monument must therefore be analysed and
appreciated to enable the recapturing of the original fabric and
character of the heritage structure through judicious
investigation & scientific methodology and it must be
complemented and enhanced with the minimum of
intervention and at a reasonable cost [Rene Luis S.
Mata,2009]. A case study of restoration work throws light on
the various aspects involved and the respective techniques
implemented.
4. CASE STUDY
To study the way in which typical rehabilitation work in India
is carried out, study of rehabilitation of main building,
University of Pune has been carried out. The building is
indexed as a Grade I structure
[http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/byelaws.htm], which
was constructed in 1871 by the British. Designed by the then
architect James Trubshawe, the building is a G+1 structure
with 60,000 sqft area having shallow foundation resting on
black cotton soil. The typical features include sloping pitch
roof, jack arch slab, typical wooden flooring, un coursed
rubble masonry in an Italian gothic architecture.
The project entailed the restoration and rehabilitation of the
historic University main building. Useful life of a structure
being considered as 100 years, it was of utmost importance to
rehabilitate the structure to the earliest. Assessment of
structure involved rapid visual screening, data collection,
condition assessment. The visual inspection brought to notice
many defects and proper investigation including non
destructive testing of various components revealed the actual
condition and hence validated the urge to take up work of
restoration of this historic precinct.
4.1 Major Problems and remedial measures
Buildings may show some degree of movement depending on
factors such as shrinkage, temperature gradients, the degree of
restraint from foundations, geometry etc., as well as loading
conditions from wind and snow. Deterioration caused by such
factors and its treatment is examined on site for the case study.
Poor design and construction defects can create poor load
distribution that can result in undesirable concentrations of
stresses. Major problems encountered in the assessment of
structure and the corresponding plan of action is as stated
below.
4.1.1. Structural cracks in masonry walls & damaged
masonry with loose bonding
Poor load distribution, poor water proofing causing bulging of
structural members had caused the members to crack with
cracks of varying magnitudes. The cracks observed on site
were not only superficial but also extended to the core of the
masonry. The entire north side of the structure along with
northwest and northeast corners was covered with very thick
creepers. The roots had penetrated in the wall through the
joints in masonry. Thus the gaps in the joints had increased
(Figure 3). The creepers had pulled out the upper portion of
the corner. Hence the upper portion of the wall was leaning
out of plumb. Masonry damage was the result of aging of the
structure and materials, poor water proofing, wrong loading
conditions etc. The destabilization of older walls due to the
deterioration of the inner core rubble between the exterior and
interior faces of masonry needed proper attention.

Fig -3: increased gap in joints due to growth of creepers
Fig -4: Reinforcement details of the wall face
Remedial measures
Epoxy grouting for strengthening weakened and cracked
masonry, jacketing of disturbed wall surfaces by means of
applying a mesh of non-ferrous steel reinforcement to both
sides of the wall, bonded to the wall with a mortar matrix,
metal straps with bolted connections are some of the measures
to repair & avoid any further cracking of masonry. The gaps in
the joints of the masonry can be filled up with lime mortar.
Also stitching can be done to avoid further damage. In the
case study, the repair of masonry cracks was taken care by
filling all the cracks by epoxy grout with the help of inserted
nipples and grouting gun. After the grouting was completed,
plinth beam was casted and steel C sections were placed on
both the sides of the wall bolted with each other through the
wall cross section as shown in Figure 4. A mesh of 8mm

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reinforcement bars was placed on the wall as shown in Figure
6 and then the face was shotcreted with suitable mix of
concrete and plastered with the conventional material mix
lime mortar 1:3. Details of the reinforcement of damaged
masonry walls are given in Figure 5.
Dealing with heavily damaged masonry included removal of
defective stonework from areas showing loose bonding,
structural faults, cracks and major shifts in plumbs or
alignments, procurement of matching stones from quarries to
match in strength, mineral composition, colour and
appearance, analysis of mortar used in the masonry to reveal
ingredients and their proportions to obtain specifications for
rebuilding masonry, dressing of broken stones in prescribed
shapes and sizes and fixing them in position using the mortar
derived from above analysis followed by dressing stones in
place.
Fig -5: Details of plinth and reinforcement
Fig -6: C/s of wall and plinth details
4.1.2. Crack in the Masonry and lime concrete slab
Thick creepers were allowed to grow on the masonry. The
creepers had its only support from the wall thus causing the
roots to grow in the masonry joints. The slab consisted of steel
sections supporting lime concrete. Ceiling tiles in terracotta
were laid below the lime concrete and were visible from
below. The Rolled Steel Joists (450 mm deep) did not have
any binding or bracing at the outer face of the porch to prevent
it from moving outwards. This allowed the upper portion of
the wall to be pulled out by the heavy creepers. The absence of
fixity either using nut-bolts or welding had further allowed the
walls of the porch to lean out of plumb by 25-30 mm. After
opening up the waterproofing on the slab, 20-25 mm wide
cracks were observed in the lime concrete slab towards
southern side running in east-west direction. It was also
observed that the T-sections at the outer face had corroded due
to the water seepage in presence of lime concrete,
considerably reducing the cross-section area of the steel
members (Figure 7). This had made the slab structurally
instable that could have collapsed without any warning.
Fig -7: Corroded steel members due to leakage
Fig -8: Details of reconstructed porch slab
Remedial Measures
Part of the porch was dismantled and the wall was
reconstructed in plumb. Damaged stones were replaced. Steel
members were fixed by welding and damaged steel sections
were replaced. Also bracing at the joist level was added. Old
slab was replaced with similar slab structure as shown in
Figure 8 which consisted of stack of two I sections one above
the other supporting inverted T section. Concreting of suitable
grade was done over the inverted T-section. Proper care was
taken to provide brick bat coba type of water proofing so as to
reduce future deterioration.
4.1.3. Collapse of portion of column
The column which was supporting overhead beams showing
major signs of bulging due to water seepage collapsed
partially which initiated the urgency to rehabilitate the
structure. The intact portion of the column showed loose
bonding of the mortar as well as cracks in the core which
needed special attention (Figure 9).

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Fig -9: Reconstruction of partially collapsed column
Fig -10: Grouting nipples at the top to fill voids
Remedial Measures
The collapsed portion was removed and reconstruction of that
portion was carried out using the same type of stone and
mortar. During the reconstruction, steel rods were inserted into
the old masonry so as to establish a proper bond between the
old and the new masonry. After the reconstruction, the cracks
in the core of the column were taken care by the epoxy
grouting carried out through the inserted nipples (Figure 10).
4.1.4. Bulging wall & Major longitudinal crack in
beam
The internal wall on eastern side was found showing signs of
bulging. The rainwater gutter on the terrace, which is above
this wall, was sagged due to water seepage observed in the
first floor wall as seen from Figure 11. The wall was bulged at
this location on first floor and also some cracks had appeared
in the plaster of the wall on ground floor at same location.
Remedial measures
The reason for the bulging of this wall was found to be a
corroded gutter above the wall, which allowed the water to
seep in the wall thus the gutter needed to be replaced and laid
with proper slopes. The bulge in the wall also needed to be
checked for its stability and also it was necessary to ensure if
the cracks in the wall could be rectified by stitching or the
required part of the wall could be dismantled and replaced
with minimal disturbance to the rest of the structure to ensure
proper transfer of loads through the walls.
Bulged wall resting above the beam caused the beam to have
sag at the centre leading to a structural crack. This major
longitudinal crack posed a major problem and required
flitching of the beam with steel plates on the exposed sides
after the wall resting on it is removed. The steel plates were
then bolted to the beam by anchor and through bolts as shown
in Figure 12. After restoring the beam, the wall above was
reconstructed.
Fig -11: Longitudinally cracked beam with visible sag
Fig -12: Flitching details of beam
4.1.5. Roofing leakages
The roof is constructed in lime concrete slab using chicken-
mesh. This slab is covered with mangalore tiles laid above
corrugated G.I. sheets (Figure 13). The mangalore tile roofing
did not have a proper slope for storm water drainage. Thus
water logging at the corners was observed which allowed
growth of trees. Seepage through roofs and down-take pipes
had resulted in the bulging of stone masonry and severe
cracking of the brick masonry below on the ground floor.
There were several places where the storm water from roof did
not reach the ground and seeped in the structure due to
improper laying of storm water drains or inadequate
maintenance.

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Remedial measures
The repair technique comprised of restoring proper slopes,
replacing corroded members, using lead flashing wherever
necessary. The down take pipes that travel through
inaccessible panelling through the centre of the building were
taken through more accessible positions with strict schedules
of periodic maintenance. The bulged and cracked masonry
was taken care of as per the requirements. State of the art
devices for detection and alarm in case of fire were installed in
the roof voids and other infrequently accessed spaces of the
building. Several changes in the profiles of roofs were done to
ensure better performance of roofs. The repaired roof was then
covered with panels coated by multiplas sheets for water
proofing (Figure 14).
Fig -13: Dismantling of deteriorated roof members
Fig -14: Laying of Multiplas sheet for waterproofing
5. FINDINGS & DISCUSSION
As the selected project for case study is of complicated nature
with hidden difficulties, the exact time estimate for completion
of restoration cannot be prepared. The construction work is
costlier than any other conventional construction project
because of the techniques and the difficulties involved in it.
Material procurement is a major problem posed because of
their specifications, colour, texture, quality, strength aspects,
use of the original material should be encouraged as far as
possible. Heavily deteriorated material may be replaced by
new material of same quality.
Rapid visual screening involves visual inspection and analysis
of structure based on past experience. Data collection involves
building description, various detailed drawings,
reconnaissance survey, preliminary survey, map preparation,
geotechnical report, construction specifications available,
exposure condition, geological report, variable for analysis,
condition assessment, initial inspection & appraisal, review of
document, detailed investigation, reporting and
recommendation. Detailed investigation is the most important
step in restoration works of heritage structures.
In the case study, the NDT reports depicted that the masonry
core strength was reducing and hence required either
strengthening or replacement. Hence decision of wall
strengthening is appropriate as replacement would be costlier.
Flitching of beam strengthens the beam as well as takes care
of the longitudinal crack and at the same time avoids
disturbing the whole structure for beam replacement. Partial
column replacement saves in material and hence proves
economical. Insertion of reinforcement ensures proper bond
between old and new masonry. Casting of slab using concrete
could have been done with precast concrete members thus
saving time of construction. After the complete restoration of
the structure it is recommended to practice regular
maintenance to ensure its proper working in future and
increased minimum strength level.
CONCLUSIONS
Deterioration of the structure may be caused due to various
reasons, some of which are long life, lack of maintenance,
unchecked growth of trees & creepers on the structures,
improper drainage system, irregular inspection, material
deterioration and weathering effect etc. Also, modern codes
and building standards, observance of cultural context,
conservation criteria, attainable benefit, traditional and
innovative methods etc. pose major challenges in restoration
of heritage structure. The best therapy to reduce decay is
preventive maintenance. Adequate maintenance can limit or
postpone the need for subsequent intervention. The repair
process requires the existing condition of the structure to be
identified and its causes of its deterioration. It is also
necessary to define how ongoing deteriorative factors should
be monitored given the effects of such processes on the
rehabilitation of the structure [Ghadban S.S.,2011]. An
understanding of the significance of the structure should be the
basis for conservation and reinforcement measures. The
design of intervention should be based on a clear
understanding of the kinds of actions that were the cause of
the damage and decay as well as those that are taken into
account for the analysis of the structure after intervention;
because the design will be dependent upon them. The choice

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between “traditional” and “innovative” techniques should be
weighed up on a case-by-case basis and preference given to
those that are least invasive and most compatible with heritage
values, bearing in mind safety and durability requirements.
The removal or alteration of any historic material or
distinctive architectural features should be avoided whenever
possible. Deteriorated structures whenever possible should be
repaired rather than replaced [ICOMOS charter].
Historic structures pass on a message coming through the
ages. It is the responsibility of the present generation to carry
it forward to the future generations
[http://www.windfallcentre.ca/index. php?st=1&s=Heritage
Retrofits& p=Overview].This gift may be lost if the integrity
of the original structure is destroyed to meet the present
demands. As these structures are closely related to local social
and economic conditions, methods which may be less
destructive and of original fabric need to be devised to
approach these issues. There is tremendous educational and
practical potential to be realized in the area of restoration. An
architectural, engineering, management as well as social
approach is required for such type of endeavour. Proper
education and training for such kind of works is today‟s need.
Involvement of more practitioners and technical professionals
is required. The potential of this field needs to be realized by
integrating and contextualizing the spheres and work of
conservation, not only as a self-contained science or
technological endeavour but also as a social practice.
REFERENCES
[1] Chapter-8, Conservation of heritage sites including
heritage buildings, heritage precincts and natural
feature areas, Model Building Bye-laws,
http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/byelaws.htm,
Retrieved August 2012
[2] Sanghamitra Basu, Preservation of heritage structures
& earthquake issues, guidelines and lessons from the
past, Chapter 27, „Repair and strengthening guide for
earthquake damaged buildings in Gujarat‟
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BIOGRAPHIES
Rohan Botre, Graduate scholar, Dept. of
civil engineering, Purdue University, USA,
botre.rohan@gmail.com
Sayali Sandbhor, Assistant Professor,
Dept. of civil engineering, Symbiosis
Institute of Technology, Pune, India,
sayali.sandbhor@sitpune.edu.in

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