Description
Heritage buildings stand as a testament to past generations and a promise to future ones, linking those who built them, those they were built for, and the people who continue to tread their floors. Given their profound cultural significance, enabling their continued use is crucial for sustainability in the built environment. Effectively conserving these structures presents a unique set of challenges and considerations distinct from those encountered in new construction. Structural health monitoring (SHM) allows for a better understanding of performance metrics in historic buildings on a case-by-case basis, enabling heritage professionals to precisely target conservation efforts with minimal disruption.
In this paper, we describe the steps and challenges involved in using SHM in the conservation of historic buildings via a case study of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. First, the problems created by previous conservation efforts are discussed and the current and future conservation plans are outlined for at a site progressing towards failure without intervention. Next, we present the approach used for implementing an SHM system to monitor the Cathedral’s masonry walls and spire, followed by the early-stage results. This SHM system is expected to assist in damage detection and minimize the cost of intervention.
