Green maintenance for historic masonry buildings : a life cycle assessment approach

This research establishes the concept of ‘Green Maintenance’ modelling for historic masonry buildings. It recognises the important role of maintenance and repair in reducing embodied carbon expenditure, thus minimising the Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI) typically associated with the deterioration of external stone masonry walls. The model was developed using a mathematical framework, and it generated results described in terms of EMI. This model utilises life-cycle assessment (LCA) ‘cradle-to-site’ over a selected maintenance period. The work evaluates embodied carbon expenditure from different stone masonry wall repair techniques for historic masonry buildings during their maintenance phase. It was discovered that embodied carbon expenditure for these repair techniques are highly influenced by the number of maintenance interventions, longevity of repairs, total wall surface repaired (m2), the embodied carbon coefficient value (‘cradle-to-gate’) and kg/km emission factors (‘gate-to-site’) associated with materials and repair processes. Based on the EMI in terms of embodied carbon expenditure generated from the results of ‘Green Maintenance’, the efficiency of stone masonry wall repair techniques can be determined. This not only aids in maintenance decisions making processes, but also contributes in substantiating the philosophical defensibility and sustainability of interventions. In the broader sense, this model is not simply confined to masonry and will be of use to those entrusted with the repair of other elements and components

Green maintenance for historic masonry buildings: An option appraisal approach

Purpose – Sustainability is well understood to encapsulate economic, environmental and societal parameters. The efficiency of maintenance interventions for historic buildings is no exception and also conforms to these broad factors. Recently, environmental considerations for masonry repair have become increasingly important and this work supports this growing area. The purpose of this paper is to give insight on how an option appraisal approach of “Green Maintenance” modelling for historic masonry buildings repair practically determine and ultimately substantiate the decision-making process using a calculation procedures of life cycle assessment, within delineated boundaries. Design/methodology/approach – Calculation procedures of the model enables an assessment of embodied carbon that is expended from different stone masonry wall repair techniques and scenarios for historic masonry buildings during the maintenance phase. Findings – It recognises the importance roles Green Maintenance model can play in reducing carbon emissions and underpins rational decision making for repair selection. Practical implications – It must be emphasised that the calculation procedures presented here, is not confined to historic masonry buildings and can be applied to any repair types and building form. The decisions made as a result of the utilisation of this model practically support environmentally focused conservation decisions. Social implications – The implementation of the model highlights the efficacy of repairs that may be adopted. Originality/value – The paper is a rigorous application and testing of the Green Maintenance model. The model relays the “true” carbon cost of repairs contextualised within the longevity of the materials and its embodied carbon that consequently allows rational appraisal of repair and maintenance options. </jats:sec

Sustainable built heritage: maintenance management appraisal approach

Purpose: Sustainability encapsulated economic, environmental and societal parameters. Without exception, these parameters also conforms the efficiency and increasingly importance of sustainable maintenance management for built heritage. However, there is less attention to the appraisal approach for maintenance management of built heritage, twinned with inconsistent and impractical assessment upon their maintenance strategies. With the aim to support sustainability, the purpose of this paper is to give an insight to the question on how the maintenance management appraisal approach practically determines and ultimately substantiates the decision-making process that promotes sustainable built heritage, based on current scenarios and practices in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: Maintenance management appraisal for sampling of built heritage enables assessment of efficiency of maintenance and repair during maintenance phase based on survey (questionnaires) and statistical analysis. Findings: It recognises the importance of maintenance management appraisal in achieving efficiency and underpinning rationale decision making for maintenance strategies and service quality (SERVQUAL). Practical implications: It must be emphasised that maintenance management appraisal is not confined to built heritage, and can be applied to any types and forms of property. The decision made as a result of its utilisation is practically support sustainable repair. Social implications: The implementation of this appraisal highlights the efficacy of maintenance strategies and SERVQUAL that may be adopted. Originality/value: The paper is a rigorous appraisal of maintenance management of built heritage. This appraisal relays the “true” sustainable built heritage, contextualised within maintenance strategies and SERVQUAL that consequently allows rationale in achieving sustainable development. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

Building Maintenance in Old Buildings Conservation Approach: An Overview of Related Problems

Building maintenance in conservation of old buildings is one of the approaches applied within the built environment of Malaysia. For instance, it is realised that these old buildings contribute an important significance to our nation's priceless heritage and unique historical development. However, most of these buildings' maintenance is influenced by related problems that affect the overall building conservation approach. Therefore, these old buildings face problems which greatly affect their overall condition and performance: building structure; building appearance and aesthetic; building materials and building character. In most critical situations, there is a greater possibility that we could lose the cultural significance and heritage values of these old buildings through ignoring the related problems. This paper tries to identify the related problems, reveal the findings and discuss suitable approaches to conserving these old buildings

Green maintenance for heritage buildings: Low carbon laterite stones repair appraisal

Sustainability commonly denotes an integration of economic, environmental and societal domains. Low carbon repair of buildings also conforms to these broad domains. Environmental consideration in low carbon repair appraisal for heritage buildings has become increasingly important and this paper supports this expanding area. This paper gives an insight on how 'Green Maintenance' concept and methodology practically determine and ultimately substantiate appraisal on low carbon repair for laterite stones of selected multiple case studies of heritage buildings located at Historical City of Melaka, Malaysia. This paper also provides highlights of comparative study and analysis of these case study buildings on their common techniques and materials for laterite stones repair. This has been achieved through quantification of embodied carbon expenditure expended in laterite stones repair within 'cradle-to-site' boundary of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using formulaic expression and calculation procedure of 'Green Maintenance' model. The calculation procedures of the model were adopted to enable evaluation of CO2 emissions in terms of embodied carbon expenditure expended from laterite stones repair for selected case studies during maintenance phase. It is found that stone replacement technique is considered as the most sustainable repair technique, mainly due to its high longevity of repair, in terms of generated Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI) of Green Maintenance modelling. More importantly, EMI of the model relays the true value of CO2 emissions contextualised within the longevity of repair and minimal intervention that allow low carbon repair appraisal approach

Green Maintenance for Heritage Buildings: An Appraisal Approach for St Paul’s Church in Melaka, Malaysia

Maintenance is an important conservation activity in ensuring the survival of heritage buildings for future generations. Knowledge and practices in this field have essentially shifted toward the sustainability framework, comprised of economic, societal, and environmental parameters. Regarding the environment, low carbon repair became the main item on the sustainability agenda for heritage buildings, and this case study supports this growing agenda by examining the "Green Maintenance" concept and methodology. The study aims to determine the applicability of Green Maintenance in assessing low carbon repair for laterite stone structures based on their embodied carbon expenditure, focusing on St Paul's Church within the Historical City of Melaka, Malaysia. In addition, this study highlights the nature of the maintenance and common techniques and materials used in laterite stone repairs. The results reveal that the most sustainable repair techniques are influenced by the longevity of the repair and the embodied carbon expenditure, represented by the Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI) of Green Maintenance modeling. The EMI measures the amount of "true" CO2 emissions in a sample of laterite-stone-repair techniques over the selected maintenance period, which can be calculated through the "cradle-to-site" boundary of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The study also found that the quality of repair (workmanship), material durability, and selection of materials to deal with specific areas of deterioration are other variables to be considered when determining the most sustainable technique