Advanced Materials Research Vols. 133-134

Abstract: The Ahi Çelebi Mosque, which is among Istanbul’s oldest mosques, is located on the shores of the Golden Horn in the Eminönü. This mosque, which was very probably built by Ahi Çelebi towards the end of the 15th century, was restored during the 16th century by Architect Sinan. It is a stone building with a rectangular plan, single dome, with a rear congregational area/son cemaat yeri in front of its main space, and a cut stone minaret at its right corner. Damaged by fires and earthquakes during its long history, this building, set on reclaimed land, was restored and strengthened at various times through the years. In the 1980s, the building was unfavourably affected by the construction of the new Galata Bridge; it began to sink and slide towards the sea, with the result that it had to be supported with steel girdles as a temporary measure and was abandoned. In 2000, the General Directorate of Foundations had concrete pillars added underground to stabilise the base, and the sea water around the foundations was pumped out. During the last restoration carried out in 2005-2006, the main dome and walls were strengthened, the minaret was rebuilt, and the interior plaster and decorations were redone. In this study we shall make a general re-evaluation of the restoration work undertaken on the 500 year old Ahi Çelebi Mosque. We shall determine to what degree the structural interventions and, in particular, the contemporary interventions have been able to maintain the original materials, shapes, workmanship and period additions, and whether or not these are distinguishable, reversible and suitable to the aesthetics of the whole.

Abstract: A significant part of traditional dwellings in Turkey consists of houses built with wood-frame technique. The building of wood-frame houses continued until the 1950s. Up to the 1990s, the preferred method of restoration in Turkey of wooden buildings, which have been disappearing very quickly due to many reasons, had been to demolish and to rebuild them in reinforced concrete maintaining their outside appearance. Restoration experts have constantly explained that producing copies devoid of all their original values is contrary to the spirit of “preservation” and nowadays the obligation to restore wooden buildings by using the method of wood-frame building has been introduced; however, despite the introduction of the wood-frame method the demolition and reconstruction of wooden buildings have continued. The Yakup Ağa Mansion was built in 1911 in Gerze/ Sinop The building, which was set on stone cellar walls, in three storeys with a wooden frame, is made up of two quarters. As time went by, the supporting frame weakened, leading to a partial collapse of the mansion, with the result that a project for the reconstruction of the mansion in reinforced concrete was approved, but never carried out. The mansion was expropriated in 2000 and restored in 2006. The restoration was done by paying attention to the preservation of original architectural elements, and the wood-frame was reinforced with partial renovations. In this paper, the consolidation, completion and reconstruction interventions carried out to preserve the wooden mansion will be analysed, with the aim of determining the degree of conservation of the aesthetic, historical evidence and authenticity values of the building.

Abstract: The article seeks to analyze the importance of the former headquarters of the Board of Public Health – DGSP (Diretoria Geral de Saúde Pública), in implementing and institutionalizing Brazilian public health policies, and the importance for Brazil of its restoration and reuse as the Centro de Difusão Científica [Scientific Education and Research Centre]. Constructed (1905-1914) at the initiative of Oswaldo Cruz and designed by the Portuguese architect Luiz Moraes Júnior, the following aspects of the old headquarters of the DGSP are examined: the original site; economic and technical means used in construction; the reasoning, programmes and purpose behind its use; economic, physical and conceptual limits and conditions of space; the creators, their ideas and programmes; the architects, their training, works and methods; the buildings and their environmental surroundings throughout the 20th century; with the City of Rio de Janeiro. The article also analyses the various proposed interventions: structural reinforcement, modernization of the installations, recovery of the construction materials and systems, as well as historic and architectural values; the original forms, volumes and spaces of the buildings. The current initiative taken by the Instituto Nacional do Câncer - Inca- of the Health Ministry, current owner of the property, recovers and preserves a reference point for the origin, evolution and institutionalization of Brazilian public health policies. A modern scientific education and research centre for researchers, health professionals, doctors and residents, as well as the general public, is to be installed in the buildings.

Abstract: The Romantic vision of ancient architecture, together with the evaluation of the said architecture as historical legacy, have contributed to the extensive path followed by the discipline of architectural restoration towards its consolidation as a scientific method along the 19th and the 20th century. During the Renaissance, when attention was turned to Classic Architecture, the study of the construction methods became the first germ for recognising the value of ancient architecture, in its many styles, as historical heritage. The scientific analysis that then took place in the 19th century, framed in the philosophical trend of Positivism, was also be reflected in architectural restoration: an appropriate intervention had to begin with learning about of the history of the construction. This can easily be understood considering that the term restoration includes many medieval constructions being completed or reconstructed introducing large additions or extensions, which were done taking as reference the use of traditional construction materials with their corresponding traditional technology and the study of agreements and manuscripts. These documents were unveiled by research, in parallel to the development of the formulation of a theoretical structural model, bearing in mind that, initially, masonry, timber and cast iron were the main construction materials, and their properties dictated the nature of structural forms (Charlton 1982). The debate about architectural restoration begun in the 19th century has gone on to history mainly thanks to names like Viollet-le-Duc, Ruskin, Morris or Pugin. However, behind these names, a series of prominent figures can be recognized. The group was comprised of individuals of all filiations who were developing and bringing together the theory and the scientific practice originated in the twilights of the 18th century in the newly established French Republic. The innumerable positions, schools, trends and declarations that have developed since then, have today a point in common: the valuation and the respect for ancient architectural monuments, a living testimony for learning about the societies who constructed them. The present work focuses on the figure of the Englishman George Edmund Street (1824-81), whose work is not as well known as that of some of his contemporaries named above, but is not less important for that reason. Street contributed to the restoration of many architectural monuments; his experience allowed him to device certain approaches to this discipline that yielded numerous restoration interventions, both inside and outside England. His work has not received as much attention as that of Butterfield, and his name is certainly not as well known as Scott's. Yet he has hardly been altogether forgotten (Hitchcock 1960).

Abstract: The roof structure of the Lutheran Church in Bistriţa is one of the historic roof structures with the widest span in Europe. With a volume of over 9,500 cubic metres, the span of the trusses is 22.60 m. The roof structure – built between 1557 and 1561 – underwent several consolidation interventions. It was seriously damaged in the fire of June 11, 2008, which entirely destroyed the tower’s roof structure and extended to the nave as well, in particular in the area next to the tower. The interventions treated those deficiencies of the nave roof structure resulting from the fire, or from defective maintenance and usage throughout time – missing parts, degraded joints, etc. – or from previous interventions, which altered the static model (by introducing straining devices on intermediary supports that were created subsequently). Made of 39 trusses (out of which 20 main and 19 secondary), the consolidated roof structure was restored as follows: at the first 8 trusses – where the fire destroyed over 70% of the parts – the initial structure was restored; at the consolidated trusses from 1897 (from truss #9 to truss #23), the static model resulting from consolidation was kept in the restoration process; whereas from truss #24 to truss #39 – consolidated in secondary trusses in 1926 – the initial static model was also restored.

Abstract: The stepwells define the subterranean architecture of Western India. The term stepwell indicates the basic architectural features of a monumental well comprising of a long corridor of steps leading to five or six storeys below the ground to a well. From the 7th to the 19th century, stepwells were an integral part of the Western India. Stepwells are a response to arid regions of Western India particularly in Gujarat and Rajasthan where water is treated as a sacred element which defines the lives, myths and rituals of the people. The stepwells of Gujarat are exceptional in their monumental scale and details. One of the magnificient stepwells is located near Ahmedabad known as Rani ki Vav. The construction of this stepwell began in 1063 A.D and probably it took some ten to twenty years to complete its construction that is upto 1085 to 1090 A.D. It is constructed of bricks and decorated with stone sculptures. It measures 64m long 20m wide and 27m deep. It has the four essential components which are seen in completely developed stepwells : a staircase leading from the ground level to the underground basin, intercepted at regular intervals with multistoreyed pillared pavilion, a well at the rear end, and a large tank or kund to store the surplus water from the well. This Vav also has bracing structures just above the tank, as an extra precaution against lateral thrust. The side walls of the staircase have niches and the wall surface of the well are adorned with beautiful sculptures. The stepwell was in use during the 12th and the 13th century, during the reign of Sidharaja. During this period the niches in the stepwell were filled up with marble sculptures.Later in the 13th century huge amounts of sand and silt were deposited in the well due to major floods of the Saraswati river which flows adjacent to this well. Other floods gradually silted up the entire well. Historical records mention that the well was functional and periodically desilted. The well was buried for centuries under the soil. The Archaeological Survey of India undertook the major task of desilting and restoration of Rani ki Vav which was declared a protected monument of national importance in 1940s. Desilting of the stepwell was commenced in 1960 A.D. Extreme care was taken while resetting of the architectural members and fixing the sculptures in their proper position. The conservation works were aimed at retaining the authenticity and the integrity of the monument during the restoration works. The stone used in the construction of this Vav is sedimentary sand stone varying from fine grain to coarse grained structure. Several test such as wet chemical analysis,X ray analysis,soil analysis etc were undertaken to understand the weathering of the stone. Today Rani ki Vav reveals its original grandeur and stands testimony to the expert craftsmanship and technology of the builders of the 11th century. This paper aims to bring forth the significance of this unique typology of stepwell and the continuing efforts undertaken by Archaeological Survey of India for restoring this historic monument.

Abstract: Historic structures generally and historic timber (roof) structures especially are not included into structural engineering curricula, in Romania. Roof structures and timber structures in general were also for a long time totally absent from all from construction and architecture university and craftsmen tuition curricula. The information gathered by dedicated professionals should be offered to young professionals, or those seeking specialisation in built heritage conservation, in a structured way: guidelines / handbooks, to prevent non-professional approaches. The Guide is to be finished in 2010 as integrated part of the PhD thesis of structural engineer D. Makay, supervised by Professor B. Szabó: Transylvanian Baroque Roof Structures.

Abstract: In restoration works compatibility requirements of repair mortars are defined based on the original mortar characteristics, but the efficiency and the performance of the repair mortars after application on masonry are not generally evaluated. From this perspective, original mortars and repair mortars from two historic masonry structures were analyzed for their characterization. Compatibility of the repair mortars with the historic mortars is investigated in terms of chemical, mineralogical, and physical point of view. The efficiency of the analytical techniques used for the mortar characterization is discussed. A methodology relying on a basic approach for a mortar analysis is adopted taking into account the added values and the basic requirements from both practical and scientific point of view. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge on mortar analysis and will provide new insights on the assessment of the compatibility of the repair mortars.

Abstract: The structural damages, which result from the inadequate bearing capacity or the asymmetric support of foundation, are one of the crucial works in the conservation of historical masonry constructions. Firstly ,the box girders are slowly and evenly jacked by the manual pipe jacking technique ,and then casting the core beam to form a whole, so the construction is gradually situated on a "tray" with sufficient rigidity. Consequently, the structural damages caused by the inadequate bearing capacity or the asymmetric support of foundation is thoroughly treated. Based on the field test, the principle of the underpinning by manual pipe-jacking , the mutual effect mechanism between box girders and soil, the calculation of jacking force and its influence factors are investigated in detail, and the empirical formula of calculating jacking force is also presented.

Abstract: Historical structures in Palestine are subjected to various types of damages due to natural or manmade causes that result in sudden destruction or progressive deterioration. “Siad Hashim” mosque has been subjected to progressive deterioration due to long neglect, abuse, environmental factors, inadequate design and construction, soil settlement, damping, growth of vegetation and other factors that led this structure to a critical condition. This paper describes the nature, cause, assessment and rehabilitation measures corresponding to existing damages. Recent rehabilitation carried out in the structure is also described, emphasizing the criteria and techniques adopted and the underlying studies and analyses. The repair and strengthening carried out to the mosque have not only succeeded in restoring its original conditions but also upgraded its ability to carry applied loads and actions satisfying current code requirements.