Precomos: Preventive conservation,maintenance and monitoring of monuments and sites

Program of the inauguration of UNESCO Chair Abstract of posters Abstract of thematic seminars

The technologies applied to Cultural Heritage and in particular the 3D reconstruction of sites and monuments, allows to replace the past in a non invasive method. In this way it is possible to make both virtual restorations and a capillary communication of the cultural contents, that is the first step of the Cultural Heritage preventive conservation.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) uses different physical principles, methods and sensors for getting information about external and internal structure and material properties. Generally, NDT applications should be part of the global investigation of historic buildings. They do not replace other investigation techniques completely but in the case of historic monuments, NDT should be preferred instead of traditional tests on extracted samples when both types of techniques can solve the problem. In recent years, commercial systems or specifically developed systems like ground penetrating radar (GPR), impact-echo, sonics, microseismics, acoustic emission, geoelectric, active thermography and flat-jack have been applied successfully.

by Christiane Maierhofer

High resolution digital 2D and 3D recording with a remote controlled mincrane up to a height of 25m. Professional lighting and colour controlled images enable monitoring inside historic buildings.
Barbara Beckett, University of Bamberg, Germany

How the MDDS operates

The software SIRCoP is an Information System finalized to make maintenance plans of Built Cultural Heritage.

This concept of Monumentenwacht, though simple in nature, turned out to be a masterstroke in practice.

The two SPRECOMAH Seminars invited academics and practitioners of architecture, archaeology, structural engineering, chemical engineering, anthropology and heritage management to consider the role of preventive conservation activities in the care of immoveable cultural property. Possibly as a consequence of the various fields of expertise represented, debate over the basic definition of preventive conservation marked the discussions. Before introducing the different conclusions and considerations of the SPRECOMAH Seminars, this basic debate shall be addressed.

In order to grasp the core concept of preventive conservation of cultural heritage property, yet also the vastness of its definitions, we must understand its meanings and evolution through the history of conservation theory. We may then conclude that the preventive attitude lies at the very basis of protection of cultural heritage resources.

Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen vzw
TNO-Bouw
Monumentenwacht Nederland
Politecnico di Milano BEST
Politecnico di Milano DIS
University of Padova
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM)
National Technical University Athens