Structural Materials in Historic Restoration: Environmental Issues and Greener Strategies

The journal article \“Structural Materials in Historic Restoration: Environmental Issues and Greener Strategies\” by Helena Meryman discusses the environmental issues and offers recommendations to improve the impacts of three structural materials: wood, steel and concrete. This article begins by discussing the concept of sustainable design. Sustainable design decisions are often based on three factors: whether or not the material is durable, locally available, or salvaged. In the field of historic restoration, each project is unique and requires a distinct balance of these three factors. This article identifies a number of common options to increase the sustainable use of structural materials. It is important to reduce overall material use, particularly highly energy-intensive and non-renewable materials. This issue can be addressed by using materials with waste-product content and salvaged materials. Transporting materials adds to a building\’s ecological footprint, which can be reduced by using local materials.Wood is one of the most common structural materials in historic buildings. Unfortunately, demanding rates of timber consumption have caused the lumber industry to convert natural forests into monoculture plantations aimed at increasing productivity. Many wood products are also treated with a preservative to increase durability, often composed of highly toxic heavy metals, which can end up in water bodies and soils. In order to reduce these harmful impacts, the quantity of new wood used must be reduced and the service life of new wood must be improved. This article also offers some specific recommendations such as using Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, designing for locally available lumber, using salvaged wood, maximizing framing efficiency, minimizing job-site waste and achieving durability through the least toxic means.The production of steel, a common structural element in most buildings, is a very energy-intensive process. The mining and production process is associated with habitat destruction, toxic runoff and greenhouse gas emissions. Although there is potential for reuse, the market for steel continues to grow and the recycled supply is insufficient. In order to minimize the negative impacts, the steel industry could maximize the reuse of salvaged steel, identify maximum achievable recycled content for products, use steel from local mills, and use the least damaging welding technology and techniques available.Concrete is a highly durable structural material, confirmed by the many existing buildings of ancient Roman architecture. Along with durability come many environmental issues. Concrete is known for it\’s high global-warming potential, as well as pollution and habitat destruction issues associated with the mining process. There are many options to reduce the impacts of concrete on the environment, including using stainless-steel anchors and reinforcements, using graded recycled aggregate, replacing potable water with gray water in production and using waste products such as fly ash to replace a portion of portland cement.Although making material choices based on environmental criteria adds additional complexity to the design process, the building\’s quality and long-term durability will likely increase. In the field of historic preservation, using environmental design strategies is the epitome of sustainability. Sustainable design strategies in historic preservation conserve natural resources while protecting cultural interests, addressing two of the major pillars of sustainability.This article can be useful to both the general pubic as well as professionals in the field of historic restoration. By offering definitions of the working terms of sustainable design, the article orients those new to the subject rather than assuming they have prior knowledge. This article also offers a thorough review of the environmental issues associated with wood, steel and concrete, the three primary structural materials within historic buildings. The discussed environmental impacts vary in severity and causality, ranging from severe and direct impacts to indirect environmental damage. After reviewing the major environmental impacts of each material, the article presents realistic and reasonable recommendations to reduce these negative impacts. This article initially informs the reader then suggests attainable options to reduce the negative impacts, making it very useful in the field of restoration. This article is particularly useful in the practice of historic restoration seeing as the three structural materials combine to compose the majority of historic homes. Balancing the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environmental) can be a daunting task. However this article is a helpful resource to balance the three by accounting for the social, economic and environmental concerns of historic restoration. Sustainable design in historic restoration balances the cultural interests of the heritage building and the environmental impacts of the structural materials, while improving the durability and therefore the economic viability of the building.

Annotation by Dante Trigiani. This article aims at highlighting the major environmental issues associated with material usage in historic restoration. Three main building materials, the focus of the paper, both used in the past and today are; wood, steel, and concrete. All resources, in one way or another require significant energy to extract and/or pose risks to the environment. The main argument in the article discusses the concept of sustainability, stressing the preservation of natural resources. For example, the current state of logging practices is on a path which cannot be sustained. Although lumber companies make attempts at re-generation of forests, biodiversity is often lost as well as the quality of wood. In regards to steel, the energy required for production as well as transportation contribute to its embodied energy content (EEC). Environmental concerns such as greenhouse gases and chemicals used in processing are also raised. Similar to steel, concrete also mentions issues surrounding air quality and energy consumption. Despite this pessimistic outlook on resource extraction and pollution, recommendations are suggested to mitigate the effects on the natural environment. Conclusions made suggest that taking steps to alleviate global warming through material choices should play a greater role in preservation, as they go hand-in-hand. By making more sustainable decisions, both natural and cultural interests can be considered and developed (Meryman, 2005).In terms of the intention of the article, two main purposes revealed are to inform, as well as to perhaps persuade. Although many claims stated do have merit and are useful in practice, there exists a slight bias in the paper. While many are more centred on the concept of sustainability, little is mentioned on other aspects of construction and materials production, such as economics. Unfortunately, it is repeatedly more expensive to include sustainability as a top priority, whether in resource extraction or construction. However, this is a harsh reality one must face as the effects of neglecting the environment have become clearer (Meryman, 2005).One aspect that would have been preferred to have a greater role would be the actual concept of historic restoration. Specific strategies and examples of restoration are not discussed in detail. Nevertheless, the author decided to concentrate more on sustainability and preservation, which are important subjects in their own right. The paper made many claims, some of which were clearer than others. Some proof of concepts were explicitly stated, while others were not. Perhaps the case is that more evidence can be discovered once the references mentioned are examined in further detail. This article was quite informative, including many useful definitions and recommendations which are directly relevant to practice. Terms are clearly explained for novices, however also offering a welcome refresher for individuals more experienced in this field. Distinction is made between words such as recycled and salvaged building materials, which at first glance may seem quite similar. Recommendations are presented for each building material, in efforts to inform or convince the audience of the alternative choices or methods of construction. What is appreciated is the inclusion of real-world applications as opposed to a strictly theoretical discussion. For instance, the traditional Norwegian orientation of wooden siding in order to provide improved air circulation on exterior walls. (Meryman, 2005). Diagrams and photographs aid in providing a more sound argument, proving some the points made in the article. In addition, the format of the article was easy to follow, as it was standardized between the three building materials and included recommendations and conclusions at the end.As historic restoration and sustainability continue to be incorporated with one another, the article provides a solid background and understanding of the issues in selecting structural materials in historic restoration. This paper presents a great starting point for individuals interested in sustainable building practices, specifically in heritage preservation and restoration. By applying the recommendations discussed, sustainable structure design can be more complex and time consuming, however both natural and cultural interests are taken into account (Meryman, 2005). ReferencesMeryman, H. (2005). Structural Materials in Historic Restoration: Environmental Issues and Greener Strategies. APT Bulletin, Vol.36(4). Association for Preservation Technology International (APT). 31-38.

The scholarly journal article by Meryman (2005) is oriented towards an audience with limited or general knowledge of sustainability practices in structural historic preservation. The author is an engineer that serves on the Advisory Committee for Sustainability for New York City and has been involved in sustainable building issues for 16 years. The article emphasizes that there is no single template for the selection of sustainable materials for structural historical restoration projects but rather each project should balance longevity, locality, and renewability of materials. The majority of the article provides specific environmental issues and recommendations for the increased sustainability of the use of three types of materials in historic building restoration: wood, steel, and concrete. Diagrams and pictures are provided to enhance the readers understanding of the recommendations. The article concludes with the notion that the use of sustainable building materials may add complexity to the design process but it will preserve natural resources, aiding in the mitigation of global warming, while at the same time protecting cultural interests. The article provides an interesting look into the interrelatedness of natural and cultural sustainability and is an important contribution to the body of heritage planning literature. There are many works on the concept of sustainability in relation to building materials but this article provides a unique idea that building materials used for historic building restoration can balance elements of natural resource sustainability while maintaining cultural elements of the building. In the beginning of the article, sustainable design terms are defined which enhances the readers understanding of the concept of sustainability. The definitions were a strategic and thoughtful inclusion as the intended audience is not comprised of experts. The article provides sufficient information on the concept of sustainability as it relates to historical building restoration.The latter part of the article is more in-depth and indicates the methods in which the concept can be applied in the heritage planning and design industries. The thorough examination of three building materials (wood, steel, and concrete) strengthened the article. Rather than examining just the concept of sustainability and its relationship to building materials, the author applied it to real-world examples which provided the reader with an increased comprehension of the issue. The author could have further enhanced the readers understanding by providing a short case study. Examining a specific historic building due for restoration and comparing the possible materials, possibly through a well organized chart, and the method, process, and reasoning for deciding on one type of material would have been interesting and fully explained the author\’s concept and how it is applied in the real-world. Nevertheless, the use of numbered recommendations was effective, organized, and concise. The figures illustrating the different methods in which to create breathable siding were very simple but effective. They illustrated that simple design modification, such as the placement of the nail on wood siding, can increase the lifespan of materials and thus contribute to a more sustainable building. The article provides technical information that can be understood by the general public that is also applicable and useful in the heritage planning framework.Overall, the article is very well written and the concept of sustainability in the historical restoration industry will only increase in importance in the future as finite resources dwindle. The author makes use of a wide variety of sources including radio interviews, peer-reviewed journal articles, government documents, and the author\’s personal research which indicates that she has done a significant amount of research to come to the conclusion that cultural and natural sustainability are beneficial to one another and that they are interrelated. This article has significance in the planning framework as it provides planners with a vision, goals, and actions for sustainable historical building restoration but lacks in the priority and implementation phases of the planning framework.The vision and goals of the planning framework provided by the article are that historical restoration will encompass elements of sustainability in the selection of building materials and this will occur through the design and planning processes. The actions for achieving sustainability are provided for each of the three building materials through the numbered recommendations. The priority and implementation phases of the planning framework are not explicitly discussed in the article. As discussed earlier, if a case study were provided, it may have illustrated the priorities and how this concept could be implemented in the real-world.

Article AnnotationbyChelsea FlemingUniversity of WaterlooFaculty of EnvironmentPrepared for PLAN 414: Heritage Planning WorkshopTaught by Professor Robert ShipleyUniversity of WaterlooWaterloo, OntarioJuly 29, 2013ArticleMeryman, H. (2005). Structural Materials in Historic Restoration: Environmental Issues and Greener Strategies. APT Bulletin, 36(4), 31-38.Annotation The scholarly journal article by Meryman (2005) is oriented towards an audience with limited or general knowledge of sustainability practices in structural historic preservation. The author is an engineer that serves on the Advisory Committee for Sustainability for New York City and has been involved in sustainable building issues for 16 years. The article emphasizes that there is no single template for the selection of sustainable materials for structural historical restoration projects but rather each project should balance longevity, locality, and renewability of materials. The majority of the article provides specific environmental issues and recommendations for the increased sustainability of the use of three types of materials in historic building restoration: wood, steel, and concrete. Diagrams and pictures are provided to enhance the readers understanding of the recommendations. The article concludes with the notion that the use of sustainable building materials may add complexity to the design process but it will preserve natural resources, aiding in the mitigation of global warming, while at the same time protecting cultural interests. The article provides an interesting look into the interrelatedness of natural and cultural sustainability and is an important contribution to the body of heritage planning literature. There are many works on the concept of sustainability in relation to building materials but this article provides a unique idea that building materials used for historic building restoration can balance elements of natural resource sustainability while maintaining cultural elements of the building. In the beginning of the article, sustainable design terms are defined which enhances the readers understanding of the concept of sustainability. The definitions were a strategic and thoughtful inclusion as the intended audience is not comprised of experts. The article provides sufficient information on the concept of sustainability as it relates to historical building restoration. The latter part of the article is more in-depth and indicates the methods in which the concept can be applied in the heritage planning and design industries. The thorough examination of three building materials (wood, steel, and concrete) strengthened the article. Rather than examining just the concept of sustainability and its relationship to building materials, the author applied it to real-world examples which provided the reader with an increased comprehension of the issue. The author could have further enhanced the readers understanding by providing a short case study. Examining a specific historic building due for restoration and comparing the possible materials, possibly through a well organized chart, and the method, process, and reasoning for deciding on one type of material would have been interesting and fully explained the author\’s concept and how it is applied in the real-world. Nevertheless, the use of numbered recommendations was effective, organized, and concise. The figures illustrating the different methods in which to create breathable siding were very simple but effective. They illustrated that simple design modification, such as the placement of the nail on wood siding, can increase the lifespan of materials and thus contribute to a more sustainable building. The article provides technical information that can be understood by the general public that is also applicable and useful in the heritage planning framework. Overall, the article is very well written and the concept of sustainability in the historical restoration industry will only increase in importance in the future as finite resources dwindle. The author makes use of a wide variety of sources including radio interviews, peer-reviewed journal articles, government documents, and the author\’s personal research which indicates that she has done a significant amount of research to come to the conclusion that cultural and natural sustainability are beneficial to one another and that they are interrelated. This article has significance in the planning framework as it provides planners with a vision, goals, and actions for sustainable historical building restoration but lacks in the priority and implementation phases of the planning framework. The vision and goals of the planning framework provided by the article are that historical restoration will encompass elements of sustainability in the selection of building materials and this will occur through the design and planning processes. The actions for achieving sustainability are provided for each of the three building materials through the numbered recommendations. The priority and implementation phases of the planning framework are not explicitly discussed in the article. As discussed earlier, if a case study were provided, it may have illustrated the priorities and how this concept could be implemented in the real-world.