- Email: [email protected]
Building maintenance: The H + R ‘Curator’ and building monitoring systems
Professional
Notes
Building Maintenance: The H + R ‘Curator’ Building Monitoring Systems
and
Based in the UK, Hutton + Rostron Environmental Investigations Ltd is cotlccrncd with the performance and operation of buildings; investigation of buitding faitui-cs, particular-Iv of moisrure penetration into curtain’watts, cladding and timber; the control of fungal and insect infestation of buildings; and the cat-c and conservation of historic propcrty. Cticnrs for H + R’s technical research services currently inctuce The Propertv Services Agency, The National Trust, The Cit!, of London Corporation and a number of architects, property owners and legal firms. Other compani& in the H + K group provide consultancv and services in building performance and design, maintenance of historic buildings, building materials, market research, quality assurance programmes, tcchnicat publishing and data processing. Because of this background of expertise H + R aware of d requirement for ;;ETg monitoring systems which could be rcrro-fitted into old and WVJ buildings, both for diagnosis of building defects and moniroring for maintenance. Such monitoring is becoming essential in buildings exposed to reduced, partial or intermittent occupmcy. This is espcciatty important in historic buildings and museums which may contain irreplaceable matcriats and at the same time be suffering from tow staffing tcvcts. The early building monitoring systems installed by H + K were designed to enable the moisture content of timber
and other materials to be remotely monitored. The sensors were inserted in critical structures during survey, refurbishment or new construction and then used to monitor environments, materials or contents. This allowed building faitures or defects to be detected and diagnosed at an early stage. In many cases such monitoring systems can be very useful in increasing the efficiency of inspection and maintenance programmes and reducing the cost. They can also be useful for checking the moisture content of inaccessible timbers in roof spaces, behind decorative finishes and in watts. H + R initially designed the system for this purpose at the Brighton Pavilion over ten years ago. This used paired stainless steel screws wired back to a junction box, with readings taken using a standard resistance meter. This technique was subsequently used successfully at the Mansion House, London, and at Hampton Court Palace after the fire, as welt as in many more modest properties. However, thcsc earlv systems suffer from a number of sensor limitations. Readings were of low accuracy due to the variability of the timbers, and painted, treated or salt-contaminated timber gave meaningless readings because only the surface and not the more important deep moisture content could be measured. Also the system could not be used to monitor masonry, plaster or other matcriats, and because of thcsc drawbacks, H + K dcvcloped a special miniaturised tow cost sensor. This can be inscrtcd into any material to the required depth without experiencing the problems outlined above. Placing the sensor is also faster and therefore cheaper. Typical tasks for a building monitoring system using the improved material
PYOf;~jStOYl~l
moisture sensors arc the monitoring of timbers subject to a high risk of decay such as lintels or joist ends, areas subject to water ingress such as gutter soles, and inaccessible areas such as the underside of flat roofs. The system is suitable for monitoring rising damp and damp proof courses, and the drying out of structures after fire or flood. If required, the tiny sensors can also bc inserted into items such as furniture or picture frames. Sensors can be placed at any depth in a material to measure internal moisture content and in arravs to enable moisture profiles to be obtiined. Sensors can be placed at all critical points after investigation or after remedial building works. Areas can then be closed up and finishes rc-applied; for example, as described above, sensors may be placed in lintels, joist ends, valley gutter soles or in damp walls to monitor drying. The comparativclv low cost of the sensors, and the dir’cct relevance of material moisture content as compared to relative humidity, allows the deployment of large numbers of sensors for ‘pattern recognition’. Similarly the sensors can be deployed to detect leaks or condensation under lcad and on other roof surfaces which may cause corrosion. It is important to use enough sensors and to place them with an understanding of the moisturc distribution processes. This is because conditions cm vary even in a smell area, and it is these local variations in conditions that produce the environmental niches which decav organisms exploit. Smaller. simpler units h‘we lV321 cvolvcd from the carlv ‘switch boxes’. These have been pi-olnoted for use by remedial contractors to encourage a polL ic\, of long torm planned maintenance and building assurance as al alternative to a one-off radical exposure and cut back contract followed by chemical remedial treatment. The Curatov G plate unit, for instance, is cheap to install and read. The sensors can be supplied in colour-coded, made-up lengths for fast a 11d easv installation so that no electronic or mechanical skill is required. A Cum-
!VOtcS
93
tor G supports from one to eight moisture sensors, and it can be over 50 mctres awav from the individual sensors at a pos;tion convenient for taking routine readings using a suitable calibrated resistance meter or alarm box. Similarly, a Curator E switched unit can support up to 144 sensors and therefore its capacity is suitable for larger structures. For example, it can be used to monitor timbers that have been subject to decay as well as the points of potential water ingress in arcas such as roof spaces. Another limitation of the early, types of building monitoring systems IS that they require manual recording of data. They also require networks of communication wires which make them expcnsive to install and unsightly. The first problem is partially solved by the use of electronic data loggers, and these were put on trial at Clandon Park for the National Trust and at Hampton Court Palace. However, industry standard data loggers are only capable of monitoring 32, or more rarely 64 sensors, and several units are therefore required to monitor even a small system of 100 sensors. They are individually also relatively expensive and do not solve the problem of the extcnsivc networks of communication wires rcquircd. These factors make the cost per sensor installed rclativcly high and often uneconomical. As discussed above, if more than 30 sensors arc deployed, the process of taking the readings can become onerous which may result in human error or negligence. ‘With larger systems the wiring of sensors can also bccomc a problem. In these situations automatic monitoring systems are desirable and H + K a number of specialised have developed data-logging systems to overcome the problems concerned. For systems requiring 100 or more sensors a unit is used which works via a single six-core main cable connecting up any number of nodes, each supporting four sensors. This system can be programmed with logging intervals and alarm limits for each sensor and can be read down the telephone system via its own modem.
94
Professional Notrs
Data from the system can then bc analysed using CAD and programs for statistical interpretation on a remote computer. H + R installed the first system of this type at York Crown Court in August 1990 to monitor timbers after persistent low-level woodworm infection. This system effectively monitors over 4,000 cubic metres of roof and gives early warning of leaks or condensation. Should such a problem occur, it can then be addressed before serious damage has occurred. This unit is a specially designed, low-cost single channel data logger optimised for the environmental
monitoring of buildings. It has been named a Curutor unit because it examines one sensor at a time and interprets the result so as to provide some of the functions of an on-site expert. The CUYUtoy unit has integral communications together with alarm and calibration A single Cur&or unit can facilities. monitor up to four thousand sensors. The largest system installed to date is being used by the Timber Research and Development Association to monitor nearly 1000 window frames as part of a long term trial for the Building Research Establishment.
Professiondl
Sensors used can be the H + R Cuyator moisture sensor already described or any other resistance based sensors suitable for measuring relevant parameters. Currently these include temperature,
I
I
I
I
Dlagrom
showing
95
Notes
light, gutter overflow, water level, and area or linear leak detection sensors. At present a package of physical movement sensors is also being developed. Readings can be taken from sensors hundreds of
Curator=
sensor
locations
at
The
Monument
Section 00 2. Section, plan and diagram in which 2C0 moisture and in addition to a full weather
building
of the Monument (to the Great Fire of London) temperature sensors wcrc deployed for two years, station, and all remotely monitor-cd by a Curatov
monitoring system operxcd via the public detcrminc the causes of iron and stone
telephone dccav.
system, to
metres away from the base unit which then report through local ‘nodes’ via the single six core cable. This reduces wiring by at least a factor of four with obvious advantages in ease of installation, appearance and cost. Using the microprocessor in the base unit, each sensor can bc individually calibrated and have logging interval and alarm limits set. The base unit has an integral alarm and can be read locally using either the LED display and keypad or connected to a microcomputer via an industry standard socket. Industry standard communications also allow the H + K Curator unit to intcrface with other systems such as heating
and ventilation controls or external alarm systems. Most importantly it can be installed with the MEAKO range of tclcmetric museum contents monitoring systems as part of a total building management system. Another problem of building monitoring is the large amounts of data collected. This is sadly often not analvsed and does not therefore become information in the context of ‘informing’ the subsequent actions of the building managers. In larger organisations it is not unusual for expert consultants to have to travel long distances between sites gathering this data for analysis. This practice
3. Exterior of the Empress Place Muscum Building in Singapore,
remotclv from dom
monitored,
the United via the public
Kingtelc-
phone system (199~95), for the Singapore Govcrnment, ill order tcl detcrminc the most effective way of r-cfurhishing the building and its air conditioning XVItcm fur use ds the Asian Cultural Exhibition Centre.
Professional
may also serve other ends but it is definitely not a cost effective use of scarce resources. To overcome this technical and management problem Curator units can be interrogated by a central computer via the telephone system. In this way any part of a building can be remotely monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This makes data recording and analysis quick and certain. The information can then be analysed using statistical, graphical and expert system programs and can be supplied into the right part of the management hierarchv for quick and cost effective action. This service can be provided by H + R or by other outside consultants. Alternatively, specialists managing a number of buildings or sites can collect the information centrally within their own organisations. H + R ‘currentlv monitor a number of buildings in this way, including York Crown Court, The Mansion House, Horse Guards, royal palaces and a number of private homes, and several small churches, including Dragar Kirk in Denmark. Special projects can also be monitored for diagnostic or experimental purposes. In this way the Monument in the City of London was remotely monitored for two years for the Corporation of London. More recently- the Empress Place Muscum Buildings in Singapore are being remotely monitored for the Singapore Government by H + R from the United Kingdom. The Danish Building Research Establishment and the Timber &search and Development Association (TRADA) in the United Kingdom use the Curator system for similar purposes. In recent vears, staff levels have been cut in many organisations, and new technology has been promoted to make up for shortages of expert knowledge on site. This has resulted in the introduction of a number of data logging and alarm systems. However, these are not necessarily ‘building monitoring systems as described above and may absorb scarce funding and staff time &thout producing usable information. A number of systems may also be installed producing
Notes
97
data which cannot be easily cross-referenced, thereby preventing a holistic overall view of problems. Lack of his holistic view commonly results in the wastage of resources by treating the symptoms rather than the causes of problems in the built environment. Indeed, partial solutions derived from tunnel vision of this nature often result in further problems and, sometimes, even more damaging conditions. In summary, a proper building monitoring system should be installed to enable more cost effective inspection and maintenance management to take place. The aim is to minimise structural decay and damage to valuable contents bv the earlv detection of defects in the critical elements of both the building environment and structure. This allows more cost effective use of the management and service support available. Any system installed and the installation company should therefore meet the following criteria: I. The system should monitor roof drainage with gutter and hopperhead water level sensors over critical parts of the site; 2. The system should monitor the moisture level under gutter soles of parapet and valley gutters; 3. The system should monitor internal down$pes for leaks and also critical plumbing systems if necessary; 4. The system should monitor the temperature and moisture content under flat roof areas together with other critical cavities in order to detect condensation or leaks; 5. The system should monitor the moisture content of structural timber and masonry at critical locations; 6. The system should record the readings of the sensors set out in criteria 1 to 5 at one central location convenient to the building managers; 7. The system should provide a local alarm at the central location in 6 above when any of the sensors in 1 to 5 above give readings outside an
98
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Profkssional upper or lower 1imit, and this alarm should be capable of being independently set and variable for each sensor; The system should record alarms and readings in 7 above for future analysis (this is important as most failures occur outside working hours and may not be obvious in the short term-for example, an intermittently overcharged and overflowing drainage system); The system should be able to record readings from all sensors at selected intervals, from 2 minutes to 1 week; The system should include computer software to enable a competent building manager to analyse the data recorded; The system must be capable of being managed and read remotely via a modem and the public telephone system so as to allow holistic analysts of problems by externally located experts or remote management teams; The system should be capable of interfacing with an environmental and building contents conservation monitoring system; The system must be able to interface with the building management sys-
Conservation: IIC Congress for Papers
1996: Call
The sixteenth international congress of The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works will take place at the Falconer Center in Copenhagen, 25-30 August 1996, in association with the Danish National Museum. Under the title Archaeological Conservation and its Consequences, the Congress will offer new perspectives on the conservation of archaeological sites
Notes tern and the other monitoring and leak detection systems on site; 14. The installers of the system must provide expert consultants and technicians for the positioning and installation of sensors; 15. The installers must be able to provide continuing maintenance and management support to the system if so required; 16. The system must be capable of future expansion to cover adjacent areas and the cost per sensor installed should be less than the cost of a potential defect likely to be detected. Curator and other compatible systems provide a new and powerful tool for the maintenance and management of buildings and their contents. The information they make available reduces risks for insurance and provides a solid basis for conservation and maintenance planning. Thus the conservator and building manager are able to save time, materials and money. Photo Credits: Gomshall.
Hutton
+
Rostron,
GEOFFREY HUTTON
and finds, both on land and under water. Particular attention will be given to ways in which attitudes toward archaeological conservation have been reassessed in recent years as the consequences of previous approaches have become evident. Topics to be covered could include: - Conservation with excavation: how to evaluate, preserve or enhance the protective value or soil or water cover. - Conservation during excavation: climate control at the site; temporary consolidation, lifting and transport of objects.
Notes
Building Maintenance: The H + R ‘Curator’ Building Monitoring Systems
and
Based in the UK, Hutton + Rostron Environmental Investigations Ltd is cotlccrncd with the performance and operation of buildings; investigation of buitding faitui-cs, particular-Iv of moisrure penetration into curtain’watts, cladding and timber; the control of fungal and insect infestation of buildings; and the cat-c and conservation of historic propcrty. Cticnrs for H + R’s technical research services currently inctuce The Propertv Services Agency, The National Trust, The Cit!, of London Corporation and a number of architects, property owners and legal firms. Other compani& in the H + K group provide consultancv and services in building performance and design, maintenance of historic buildings, building materials, market research, quality assurance programmes, tcchnicat publishing and data processing. Because of this background of expertise H + R aware of d requirement for ;;ETg monitoring systems which could be rcrro-fitted into old and WVJ buildings, both for diagnosis of building defects and moniroring for maintenance. Such monitoring is becoming essential in buildings exposed to reduced, partial or intermittent occupmcy. This is espcciatty important in historic buildings and museums which may contain irreplaceable matcriats and at the same time be suffering from tow staffing tcvcts. The early building monitoring systems installed by H + K were designed to enable the moisture content of timber
and other materials to be remotely monitored. The sensors were inserted in critical structures during survey, refurbishment or new construction and then used to monitor environments, materials or contents. This allowed building faitures or defects to be detected and diagnosed at an early stage. In many cases such monitoring systems can be very useful in increasing the efficiency of inspection and maintenance programmes and reducing the cost. They can also be useful for checking the moisture content of inaccessible timbers in roof spaces, behind decorative finishes and in watts. H + R initially designed the system for this purpose at the Brighton Pavilion over ten years ago. This used paired stainless steel screws wired back to a junction box, with readings taken using a standard resistance meter. This technique was subsequently used successfully at the Mansion House, London, and at Hampton Court Palace after the fire, as welt as in many more modest properties. However, thcsc earlv systems suffer from a number of sensor limitations. Readings were of low accuracy due to the variability of the timbers, and painted, treated or salt-contaminated timber gave meaningless readings because only the surface and not the more important deep moisture content could be measured. Also the system could not be used to monitor masonry, plaster or other matcriats, and because of thcsc drawbacks, H + K dcvcloped a special miniaturised tow cost sensor. This can be inscrtcd into any material to the required depth without experiencing the problems outlined above. Placing the sensor is also faster and therefore cheaper. Typical tasks for a building monitoring system using the improved material
PYOf;~jStOYl~l
moisture sensors arc the monitoring of timbers subject to a high risk of decay such as lintels or joist ends, areas subject to water ingress such as gutter soles, and inaccessible areas such as the underside of flat roofs. The system is suitable for monitoring rising damp and damp proof courses, and the drying out of structures after fire or flood. If required, the tiny sensors can also bc inserted into items such as furniture or picture frames. Sensors can be placed at any depth in a material to measure internal moisture content and in arravs to enable moisture profiles to be obtiined. Sensors can be placed at all critical points after investigation or after remedial building works. Areas can then be closed up and finishes rc-applied; for example, as described above, sensors may be placed in lintels, joist ends, valley gutter soles or in damp walls to monitor drying. The comparativclv low cost of the sensors, and the dir’cct relevance of material moisture content as compared to relative humidity, allows the deployment of large numbers of sensors for ‘pattern recognition’. Similarly the sensors can be deployed to detect leaks or condensation under lcad and on other roof surfaces which may cause corrosion. It is important to use enough sensors and to place them with an understanding of the moisturc distribution processes. This is because conditions cm vary even in a smell area, and it is these local variations in conditions that produce the environmental niches which decav organisms exploit. Smaller. simpler units h‘we lV321 cvolvcd from the carlv ‘switch boxes’. These have been pi-olnoted for use by remedial contractors to encourage a polL ic\, of long torm planned maintenance and building assurance as al alternative to a one-off radical exposure and cut back contract followed by chemical remedial treatment. The Curatov G plate unit, for instance, is cheap to install and read. The sensors can be supplied in colour-coded, made-up lengths for fast a 11d easv installation so that no electronic or mechanical skill is required. A Cum-
!VOtcS
93
tor G supports from one to eight moisture sensors, and it can be over 50 mctres awav from the individual sensors at a pos;tion convenient for taking routine readings using a suitable calibrated resistance meter or alarm box. Similarly, a Curator E switched unit can support up to 144 sensors and therefore its capacity is suitable for larger structures. For example, it can be used to monitor timbers that have been subject to decay as well as the points of potential water ingress in arcas such as roof spaces. Another limitation of the early, types of building monitoring systems IS that they require manual recording of data. They also require networks of communication wires which make them expcnsive to install and unsightly. The first problem is partially solved by the use of electronic data loggers, and these were put on trial at Clandon Park for the National Trust and at Hampton Court Palace. However, industry standard data loggers are only capable of monitoring 32, or more rarely 64 sensors, and several units are therefore required to monitor even a small system of 100 sensors. They are individually also relatively expensive and do not solve the problem of the extcnsivc networks of communication wires rcquircd. These factors make the cost per sensor installed rclativcly high and often uneconomical. As discussed above, if more than 30 sensors arc deployed, the process of taking the readings can become onerous which may result in human error or negligence. ‘With larger systems the wiring of sensors can also bccomc a problem. In these situations automatic monitoring systems are desirable and H + K a number of specialised have developed data-logging systems to overcome the problems concerned. For systems requiring 100 or more sensors a unit is used which works via a single six-core main cable connecting up any number of nodes, each supporting four sensors. This system can be programmed with logging intervals and alarm limits for each sensor and can be read down the telephone system via its own modem.
94
Professional Notrs
Data from the system can then bc analysed using CAD and programs for statistical interpretation on a remote computer. H + R installed the first system of this type at York Crown Court in August 1990 to monitor timbers after persistent low-level woodworm infection. This system effectively monitors over 4,000 cubic metres of roof and gives early warning of leaks or condensation. Should such a problem occur, it can then be addressed before serious damage has occurred. This unit is a specially designed, low-cost single channel data logger optimised for the environmental
monitoring of buildings. It has been named a Curutor unit because it examines one sensor at a time and interprets the result so as to provide some of the functions of an on-site expert. The CUYUtoy unit has integral communications together with alarm and calibration A single Cur&or unit can facilities. monitor up to four thousand sensors. The largest system installed to date is being used by the Timber Research and Development Association to monitor nearly 1000 window frames as part of a long term trial for the Building Research Establishment.
Professiondl
Sensors used can be the H + R Cuyator moisture sensor already described or any other resistance based sensors suitable for measuring relevant parameters. Currently these include temperature,
I
I
I
I
Dlagrom
showing
95
Notes
light, gutter overflow, water level, and area or linear leak detection sensors. At present a package of physical movement sensors is also being developed. Readings can be taken from sensors hundreds of
Curator=
sensor
locations
at
The
Monument
Section 00 2. Section, plan and diagram in which 2C0 moisture and in addition to a full weather
building
of the Monument (to the Great Fire of London) temperature sensors wcrc deployed for two years, station, and all remotely monitor-cd by a Curatov
monitoring system operxcd via the public detcrminc the causes of iron and stone
telephone dccav.
system, to
metres away from the base unit which then report through local ‘nodes’ via the single six core cable. This reduces wiring by at least a factor of four with obvious advantages in ease of installation, appearance and cost. Using the microprocessor in the base unit, each sensor can bc individually calibrated and have logging interval and alarm limits set. The base unit has an integral alarm and can be read locally using either the LED display and keypad or connected to a microcomputer via an industry standard socket. Industry standard communications also allow the H + K Curator unit to intcrface with other systems such as heating
and ventilation controls or external alarm systems. Most importantly it can be installed with the MEAKO range of tclcmetric museum contents monitoring systems as part of a total building management system. Another problem of building monitoring is the large amounts of data collected. This is sadly often not analvsed and does not therefore become information in the context of ‘informing’ the subsequent actions of the building managers. In larger organisations it is not unusual for expert consultants to have to travel long distances between sites gathering this data for analysis. This practice
3. Exterior of the Empress Place Muscum Building in Singapore,
remotclv from dom
monitored,
the United via the public
Kingtelc-
phone system (199~95), for the Singapore Govcrnment, ill order tcl detcrminc the most effective way of r-cfurhishing the building and its air conditioning XVItcm fur use ds the Asian Cultural Exhibition Centre.
Professional
may also serve other ends but it is definitely not a cost effective use of scarce resources. To overcome this technical and management problem Curator units can be interrogated by a central computer via the telephone system. In this way any part of a building can be remotely monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This makes data recording and analysis quick and certain. The information can then be analysed using statistical, graphical and expert system programs and can be supplied into the right part of the management hierarchv for quick and cost effective action. This service can be provided by H + R or by other outside consultants. Alternatively, specialists managing a number of buildings or sites can collect the information centrally within their own organisations. H + R ‘currentlv monitor a number of buildings in this way, including York Crown Court, The Mansion House, Horse Guards, royal palaces and a number of private homes, and several small churches, including Dragar Kirk in Denmark. Special projects can also be monitored for diagnostic or experimental purposes. In this way the Monument in the City of London was remotely monitored for two years for the Corporation of London. More recently- the Empress Place Muscum Buildings in Singapore are being remotely monitored for the Singapore Government by H + R from the United Kingdom. The Danish Building Research Establishment and the Timber &search and Development Association (TRADA) in the United Kingdom use the Curator system for similar purposes. In recent vears, staff levels have been cut in many organisations, and new technology has been promoted to make up for shortages of expert knowledge on site. This has resulted in the introduction of a number of data logging and alarm systems. However, these are not necessarily ‘building monitoring systems as described above and may absorb scarce funding and staff time &thout producing usable information. A number of systems may also be installed producing
Notes
97
data which cannot be easily cross-referenced, thereby preventing a holistic overall view of problems. Lack of his holistic view commonly results in the wastage of resources by treating the symptoms rather than the causes of problems in the built environment. Indeed, partial solutions derived from tunnel vision of this nature often result in further problems and, sometimes, even more damaging conditions. In summary, a proper building monitoring system should be installed to enable more cost effective inspection and maintenance management to take place. The aim is to minimise structural decay and damage to valuable contents bv the earlv detection of defects in the critical elements of both the building environment and structure. This allows more cost effective use of the management and service support available. Any system installed and the installation company should therefore meet the following criteria: I. The system should monitor roof drainage with gutter and hopperhead water level sensors over critical parts of the site; 2. The system should monitor the moisture level under gutter soles of parapet and valley gutters; 3. The system should monitor internal down$pes for leaks and also critical plumbing systems if necessary; 4. The system should monitor the temperature and moisture content under flat roof areas together with other critical cavities in order to detect condensation or leaks; 5. The system should monitor the moisture content of structural timber and masonry at critical locations; 6. The system should record the readings of the sensors set out in criteria 1 to 5 at one central location convenient to the building managers; 7. The system should provide a local alarm at the central location in 6 above when any of the sensors in 1 to 5 above give readings outside an
98
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Profkssional upper or lower 1imit, and this alarm should be capable of being independently set and variable for each sensor; The system should record alarms and readings in 7 above for future analysis (this is important as most failures occur outside working hours and may not be obvious in the short term-for example, an intermittently overcharged and overflowing drainage system); The system should be able to record readings from all sensors at selected intervals, from 2 minutes to 1 week; The system should include computer software to enable a competent building manager to analyse the data recorded; The system must be capable of being managed and read remotely via a modem and the public telephone system so as to allow holistic analysts of problems by externally located experts or remote management teams; The system should be capable of interfacing with an environmental and building contents conservation monitoring system; The system must be able to interface with the building management sys-
Conservation: IIC Congress for Papers
1996: Call
The sixteenth international congress of The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works will take place at the Falconer Center in Copenhagen, 25-30 August 1996, in association with the Danish National Museum. Under the title Archaeological Conservation and its Consequences, the Congress will offer new perspectives on the conservation of archaeological sites
Notes tern and the other monitoring and leak detection systems on site; 14. The installers of the system must provide expert consultants and technicians for the positioning and installation of sensors; 15. The installers must be able to provide continuing maintenance and management support to the system if so required; 16. The system must be capable of future expansion to cover adjacent areas and the cost per sensor installed should be less than the cost of a potential defect likely to be detected. Curator and other compatible systems provide a new and powerful tool for the maintenance and management of buildings and their contents. The information they make available reduces risks for insurance and provides a solid basis for conservation and maintenance planning. Thus the conservator and building manager are able to save time, materials and money. Photo Credits: Gomshall.
Hutton
+
Rostron,
GEOFFREY HUTTON
and finds, both on land and under water. Particular attention will be given to ways in which attitudes toward archaeological conservation have been reassessed in recent years as the consequences of previous approaches have become evident. Topics to be covered could include: - Conservation with excavation: how to evaluate, preserve or enhance the protective value or soil or water cover. - Conservation during excavation: climate control at the site; temporary consolidation, lifting and transport of objects.