Construction Of Heritage Research Articles

Conservation of urban heritage post-earthquake reconstruction through community involvement: case study of THIMI-issues and lessons learned

ABSTRACT Cultural heritage is a reflection of a community’s adopted ways of life. It comprises customs, behaviors, settings, physical objects, artistic expression, and ideals. As an impact of the Earthquake in 2015, the heritage building suffered catastrophic damage. This research examined the Thimi community’s approach to urban heritage construction through conservation, reconstruction, renovation, and restoration, and shares problems, success stories, and lessons learned in the cases of Phalcha (Rest House) and Dyo (Temple). The Thimi Municipality provided all required technical and financial support for these renovation and reconstruction activities. Conducting a depth literature review and understanding the process of both qualitative and quantitative methods of rebuilding, renovating, and restoring the urban cultural heritage structure, this research uses a case study approach. Locals, consultants, and technical employees involved in the rehabilitation and planning work provided most of the materials for all case studies. This study finds that the residents of Thimi feel pride in having their heritage structures restored by local community participation. Despite the local community efforts, there are a few shortcomings with the financial, technical, social, and administrative constructions and understanding of customary practices. The Madhyapur Thimi Municipality has developed measures to support communities willing to lead urban heritage conservation.

Citespace-based Knowledge Mapping Analysis of China's Cultural Heritage Institutions and Regulations

Taking the 1,697 documents obtained from CNKI about the main body of research on cultural heritage regulations as the research object, we analyzed and processed them through Citespace software, sorted out the documents from five aspects: release time, author, institution, key words, and explored the future research trends. The study found that: the main research directions are intangible cultural heritage-related institutional regulations, cultural heritage protection history and legislation, and historical and cultural heritage protection system; future research tends to focus on the protection and institutional construction of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional ethnic sports, research on the current status of legislation and countermeasures for specific categories of cultural heritage, and cross-sectional research on disciplines.

Fictional and fictionalised religions as heritage? Reflections on the object of critical heritage studies

ABSTRACT This article attempts to make a connection between two fields, that usually operate in separate intellectual contexts: critical research on heritage as a social practice and the study of historical and fantasy fiction, concentrating on renditions of the Middle Ages. Both the construction of heritage and the creation of a fictional narrative are ways of processing of the past, although, at first sight, opposites. Claiming a site as heritage and therefore as determining a community’s identity elides the distance between past and present, whereas the authors of historical and fantasy fiction are keen to stress the exotic nature of the Middle Ages. Yet, the article argues that these practices operate on a sliding scale and asks the question whether the telling of a fictional tale about the Middle Ages might be a heritage practice in itself.

Research on the Relationship Between Independent Documentary Films and The Construction of Non-genetic Heritage in The Context of Cultural Memory

Documentaries focusing on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), henceforth referred to as 'ICH documentaries,' possess an inherent thematic advantage in enhancing cultural memory and shaping national identity. The filmic documentation that characterizes these documentaries plays a crucial role to varying degrees in the imaging, narration, and creative approach of the 'ICH' culture, whose primary objective is preservation and inheritance. Among these, the independent documentary series 'In Search of Craftsmanship,' which records the traditional crafts of 199 Chinese artisans, distinctly exemplifies the characteristics and dynamic interplay between independent documentaries and the construction of ICH continuity.

A novel fully removable walkway system with non-invasive anchors for structural health inspection and maintenance of historic steel structures

Historic steel structures are generally heritage constructions that must be preserved, where invasive operations such as welding or drilling cannot be performed. Any auxiliary structures installed on these constructions must be easily removable. In addition, historic steel structures such as riveted bridges are difficult to access, making it very difficult to take measurements using contact techniques or to perform structural health inspections. One of the most common needs is the installation of walkways for inspection and especially for maintenance and repair purposes. In this sense, clamp-based connections are a technique for fabricating dismountable systems that allow anchoring to existing structures without performing invasive operations such as welding or drilling. This study proposes, develops, simulates, and tests a novel non-invasive detachable anchorage system for the assembly of temporary walkways for inspecting and maintaining historic steel structures without additional scaffolding. In addition, a methodology is proposed for the easy and correct installation of the proposed system by combining it with LiDAR techniques. The developed system has been assembled and tested in laboratory tests and two real case studies.

Digitalization based on high-resolution scanning and HBIM tools for damage assessment of the José de Alencar house

Heritage buildings are of great importance to the human perception of the culture of a community. HBIM (Historic Building Information Modelling) tools offer a possibility of an improved data set of information related mainly to the restoration and preservation of historical buildings. This work aims to assess the damage to the historic house by employing integrated HBIM tolls and experimental procedures. The historic house was evaluated by visual inspection of the historic house, 3D modeling with REVIT, and 3D modeling based on point cloud data. The comparison between the two 3D modeling techniques showed a level of damage consisting of a difference between the levels of the roofs. In addition, the visual inspection detected cracks in the walls which agrees with the damage observed from the 3D model’s comparison. Results indicate that HBIM tools significantly contribute to damage assessment in heritage constructions.

Dynamic analysis of masonry arches using Maxwell damping

Masonry arches are a fundamental component of historical structures. The assessment of the vulnerability of these heritage constructions to seismic loading requires reliable and efficient numerical models. Discrete element models are an alternative to finite element models, being particularly effective in modelling collapse mechanisms created by shearing and separation of the units along the joints. Discrete element codes typically rely on explicit methods of integration of the equations of motion for dynamic analysis, which may require large run times when the recommended stiffness-proportional component of Rayleigh damping is applied. A novel approach is proposed using an alternative damping model, Maxwell damping, which involves placing multiple spring-dashpot elements in the joints, in parallel with the standard stiffness springs. This damping model is tested in the dynamic analysis of masonry arches, under pulse and earthquake loading. The results obtained in this early investigation show a good performance in the simulation of collapse under dynamic loads, in general agreement with the analyses conducted with classical stiffness-proportional damping, but reducing significantly the computational effort.

‘Constructing’ heritage diplomacy in Central Asia: China’s Sinocentric historicisation of transnational World Heritage Sites

ABSTRACT As the ancient Silk Road began acquiring new centrality in China’s soft power strategy in the mid-2000s, so did heritage diplomacy, which developed as an engagement tool for fostering relations with Central Asia. The paper examines China’s heritage cooperation with Central Asian countries through the lenses of social constructivism, investigating the conditions whereby the discursive construction of heritage has elicited cooperation. Linking the constructivist canon to Tim Winter’s work, the research considers heritage as diplomacy, suggesting that cooperation is fostered when heritage is framed as a link to a shared past among states and heritage positively engages with the core national interests of recipient countries. The research examines China’s discursive construction of the ‘Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor’ joint nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage list with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in media texts. The paper identifies a Sinocentric historicisation of heritage that, on the one hand, shies away from historical memories of conflict and competition and, on the other, connects joint heritage work with the notion of national sovereignty, playing on Central Asia’s interests.

Legal Certainty on Sanction of Regional Regulation of Bandung City No. 7 of 2018 on Cultural Heritage Management Regarding The Renovation of Cultural Heritage in Bandung City

Historical buildings that spread out all over Bandung City become silent witness of the city’s establishment until the present day. Some of them currently still last in the good shape and well-maintained, while the others fall apart by modernization. It is not infrequently happening that renovation of the old building becoming the new building done without neither license nor regulation. This research aims to analyze and understand the legal sanction related to renovation of historical building as a part of cultural heritage in Indonesia, specifically Bandung City, West Java. The purpose of this research is to engage all elements of society’s concern and involvement in cultural heritage preservation. The method of this research is library research as a research in literature or an activity to compile information relevant to topic or object of research and received from books, scientific paper, thesis, dissertation, encyclopedia, internet and other resources. The research shows the result that the consequence of a construction being established as cultural heritage is maintaining the values of history, culture, knowledge, religion, even architecture. People, especially in Indonesia worry about cultural heritage construction because the citizen minds that the construction cannot be modified, tumbled down or hard to sell.

Fragility Curves for Historical Structures with Degradation Factors Obtained from 3D Photogrammetry

The influence of the effects of the degradation of materials on the seismic fragility of Cultural Heritage buildings in Granada (Spain) is investigated. The degradation of the material, which mainly happens at the lower levels of the façades, is obtained by using 3D photogrammetry data. Fragility curves for three cultural heritage constructions in Granada are calculated by using FE nonlinear dynamic analyses for both non-deteriorated and deteriorated geometries. The Finite Elements (FE) models, based on the macro-modelling technique, are subjected to ground motions for the city of Granada, which were selected by considering Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) methodology with their probability of occurrence. The response of each model is analyzed for different seismic Intensity Measure (IM) levels, which, in this study, correspond to average pseudo-acceleration. The procedure is applied to three monuments in Granada that were built with two different constructions materials: calcarenite and rammed earth. The damage mechanisms considered are roof displacement or maximum compressive principal stress, depending on each case. The results show that the restoration works that have been carried out has prevented structural failures in the rammed earth construction studied, and that, during future seismic events, special attention must be paid to the level of compressive strengh reached in the Santa Pudia calcarenite used at the San Jerónimo monastery.

Biocultural heritage construction and community-based tourism in an important indigenous agricultural heritage system of the southern Andes

ABSTRACT Traditional agricultural systems reflect the close relationship between human communities and local ecosystems. The inheritance of knowledge, practices and beliefs, in which this relationship is materialised, or biocultural memory, is key for these systems’ conservation and adaptation to social-environmental changes. Heritage construction processes may be used in a bid to conserve and increase awareness of this inheritance. Tourism is one alternative but is not immune to controversy. Through a qualitative methodology and participatory action research, this study examines biocultural heritage construction in an Important Agricultural Heritage System (IAHS) in Mapuche-Pewenche territory in the southern Andes. Based on the community-based tourism experience of two campesino cooperatives, our study points out how local actors understand and interpret their heritage as well as the opportunities and challenges of showcasing it through tourism. We found that the inheritance is understood as the way of life associated with Mapuche rural culture and, particularly, agricultural practices that support local food systems with a strong identity component. In these experiences of community-based tourism, we identify opportunities and challenges for reinforcing biocultural memory and inheritance in an IAHS. We discuss tourism development in IAHS sites, putting the communities that inhabit and maintain them in a central position.

Indigenous tradition, change, and uncertainty in western Honduras: how Lenca potters maintain craft production livelihoods in the face of socioeconomic development

ABSTRACT For the indigenous Lenca people of western Honduras, pottery production represents an economically and spiritually important tradition. Historically exchanged in regional trade networks, pottery is still produced today. However, this tradition is changing due to socioeconomic and political development. Lenca pottery has shifted from utilitarian wares to more aesthetic pieces favored by tourists – a change encouraged by state constructions of national identity. Promotion of what are considered ‘marketable’ indigenous crafts and attractions in the tourism industry has resulted in misconceptions among domestic and international tourists regarding distinct indigenous tradition – like Lenca pottery. Drawing on nine months of fieldwork in the Lenca community of La Campa, Lempira, this research note examines how contemporary pottery tradition may be shaped by state constructions of indigenous heritage and identity, which are reproduced through the national tourism industry. Through the application of neoliberal multiculturalism, this work explores how these political processes restrict Lenca craft producers from benefitting from tourism. To conclude, this article presents empirical evidence suggesting that despite these obstacles, Lenca artisans in La Campa maintain pottery production as a livelihood through innovative choices in altering selling and production methods.

Early-age shrinkage and bond of LC-TRM strengthening in rammed earth

• Nine LC-TRM solutions on rammed-earth substrates were tested. • Digital image correlation was found suitable for monitoring shrinkage of LC-TRM systems. • Pull-off tests were performed for measuring the bonding behaviour of the systems. • The strengthening mesh is a key element for controlling shrinkage development. • Several challenges were found and attended during the experimental campaigns. The wide dissemination of earth-based structures as contemporary, vernacular or heritage constructions in regions with important seismic hazard demands the design of solutions that improve the typical low structural performance resulting from intrinsic material limitations. Only in this way, it is possible to promote a comprehensive seismic protection of this heritage and of the life of their inhabitants. One relevant and innovative solution proposed recently to address this problem consists in the strengthening with low-cost textile meshes embedded in a mortar matrix (LC-TRM). The purpose of this solution is similar to that of fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) systems used in masonry structures, where it works as an externally bonded reinforcement. Nevertheless, LC-TRM is addressed to elements constituted by materials with low mechanical properties, such as rammed earth and adobe. The further development of this strengthening solution demands comprehending with detail the interaction between the substrate and the matrix, where the shrinkage behaviour is relevant for the success of the system. The capacity of non-destructive tests based on digital image correlation (DIC) suggest the possibility of using this technique to monitor mortar shrinkage in LC-TRM strengthened rammed earth walls. On this regard, an experimental program was conducted and provided many important conclusions, among which are that DIC provides an adequate monitoring of the shrinkage behaviour of LC-TRM strengthened systems and that the strengthening mesh is a key element for controlling shrinkage development. Additionally, the interaction between the substrate and the LC-TRM system was characterised by the means of pull-off tests, favouring a discussion on the suitability and limitations of these tests on rammed-earth/LC-TRM systems.

Back to the (invisible) Académie? The organization of poetry as a “pure” art form

Using the case of French contemporary poetry, this article investigates the organization of “pure” art forms. These are highly legitimate art forms which, instead of being profit-oriented, comprise actors who strive primarily for esthetic recognition. The organizational life of such arts is based on a new academy system which is in some regards comparable to that of the 17th century—leading me to call the current system a “return to the academy.” I define an academy system as an assemblage of artistic institutions coupled with public funding for artists and artistic organizations. This two-pronged system organizes the arts along four dimensions: strategic, administrative, ideological, and professional. Its strategic mission is to support artistic creation, spread cultural democracy, and guarantee the construction and transmission of literary heritage. Paradoxically, the State cannot make these choices directly, firstly because of the widely accepted autonomy of art, and secondly because, in a democracy, the State can no longer select artists according to an explicit ideology. The academy is thereby “invisible.” Second paradox, its organization has led to the marketization of pure arts, and the transformation of artists into independent workers providing goods and services. Finally, I discuss how this system fits a new consumerist definition of culture, based on “traces” that have to be recorded and managed as heritage. These findings question the typical narrative that the arts were emancipated from the patronage system thanks to the market, as this does not apply to most artists.

Spatial Structure and Corridor Construction of Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the Ming Great Wall

Exploring the spatial structure of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and constructing heritage corridors are conducive to the adaptive reuse of heritage and the improvement of the surviving environment, which is of great significance to the living inheritance of ICH. Guided by the concept of the heritage corridor, this study took the ICH along the Ming Great Wall as the research object. Kernel density estimation and a standard deviation ellipse analysis were used to explore the spatial structure and then combined with a suitability analysis of heritage corridors to further explore the spatial locations of corridors. A multifactor spatial superposition was carried out with the minimal cumulative resistance (MCR) method. The resistance factors, including land use type, elevation, slope, road system, river system, and the heritage corridors, were constructed. The results show that: (1) ICH along the Ming Great Wall forms a spatial pattern of “three cores and one belt”. The high-density core areas exist in Beijing and Liaoning, and the secondary core areas exist in northern Ningxia and southwestern Inner Mongolia. This results from the joint action of the natural, economic, and social environment. (2) On the whole, all kinds of ICH are distributed from southwest to northeast, among which folk art is particularly obvious. (3) The distribution trend of suitability is “high in the east and low in the west”. The high-suitability areas are mainly concentrated in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Liaoning regions, while the low-suitability areas are concentrated in Gansu, Ningxia, and northern Inner Mongolia. Finally, this study discusses the appropriate development mode of the heritage corridors of the Ming Great Wall from the macrolevel to the mesolevel.

Challenging the problem of un-democratic participation: from destruction to re-construction of heritage

PurposeThe present study aims to contribute to the understanding of digital participation in heritage collections as a democratizing practice by identifying and challenging silent assumptions concerning how the insufficient influence of participants is conceived of as a problem.Design/methodology/approachThree carefully selected scholarly texts incorporating problematizations of insufficient participatory agency were analyzed in detail using a method inspired by Carol Bacchi's approach “what's the problem represented to be?” (WPR), with special emphasis on analysis of ontological elements of the problematizations.FindingsParticipation is problematized based on the assumption that participatory agency risks jeopardizing the protection of heritage and leads to parts of the public memory being forgotten. To challenge the idea that participatory agency is destructive, the present article argues for elaborating an understanding of what forgetting entails for heritage. Framing forgetting as a potentially both harmful and generative concept enables a separation of destructive forgetting (e.g. destruction of historical evidence) and constructive forgetting (re-contextualization).Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a limited number of texts, and problematizations are investigated in relation to a specific perspective on participatory agency.Practical implicationsBy understanding forgetting as a potentially beneficial activity for representation and heritage construction, the article provides a conceptual rationale for facilitating re-contextualization in the design of multi-layered information structures for heritage collections.Originality/valueThere is little earlier research on the silent assumptions that affect how participation is understood and implemented.

THE HAMISH OGSTON FOUNDATION HERITAGE BUILDING SKILLS PROGRAMME IN ENGLAND

This short article explains the rationale for the development of the Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme, a major in-work training programme enabled by the largest one-off investment ever awarded to heritage construction training in England. After briefly introducing the evidence for skills shortages in heritage conservation and the growing area of retrofit, it draws on literature and policy relating to building crafts, heritage conservation, and vocational education and training (VET) in England to establish the context for addressing them. In a wide-ranging discussion, it examines various social and practical constraints, before explaining how the Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme proposes to make a difference.

Construction of Heritage Digital Resource Platform Based on Digital Twin Technology

In order to preserve and inherit material cultural heritage, the author proposes a method for digital construction of the Great Wall’s cultural heritage based on digital twin. This method discusses the connotation of the whole life cycle of the Great Wall digital twin, proposes the research path and content of the digital twin construction of the Great Wall cultural heritage, and conducts the application of the Great Wall digital twin to evaluate the application effect. The evaluation results show that users’ overall satisfaction with Great Wall’s digital twin application is relatively high, and the average score of each indicator is above 4, and the functional experience is slightly poor. Conclusion. This method can provide full life cycle visualization services for the digital archiving, application, and decision-making of the Great Wall cultural heritage and provide theoretical and methodological references for the preservation and inheritance of material cultural heritage.

Protection of Jingdezhen Ceramic Heritage Based on Blockchain Technology

Jingdezhen ceramic heritage is the largest existing ceramic cultural heritage in China, with the richest connotation and the most complete system. It has the characteristics of strong systematization, complicated preservation, and diversified use. With the vigorous development of cultural industry, Jingdezhen’s ceramic heritage has a broad application prospect, but at the same time, it faces the problem of being destroyed or improperly developed. With the progress of science and technology and the development of machinery, the traditional hand-made porcelain technology of Jingdezhen ceramics is gradually being eliminated. The value and distinctive feature of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage is the importance and necessity of its protection, and the protection of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage has become an urgent problem to be solved. In order to solve this problem, this paper takes the protection of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage as the research object, analyzes the characteristics and protection status of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage, and applies blockchain technology to the protection of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage, which promotes the protection of ceramic heritage. The decentralized, traceable, and open characteristics of blockchain technology provide innovative technical support for the digital construction of ceramic heritage and strong technical support for the protection of ceramic heritage. The results show that by analyzing the current situation of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage protection and construction, the digital model of Jingdezhen ceramic heritage based on blockchain technology is established by combining blockchain technology with digital construction of ceramic heritage, and a digital identity is built for Jingdezhen ceramics. The collected Jingdezhen ceramic information is attached to the blockchain, which ensures its unique and effective identity information, realizes the integration of Jingdezhen ceramic information, and actively promotes the informatization and standardization of ceramic heritage protection. The research results provide new ideas for Jingdezhen ceramic heritage protection and theoretical support for heritage protection and inheritance.

A Technical Tool for Urban Upgrading: An Application for Cultural Heritage Preservation and Planning for Affordable Housing

A technical tool to support projects for urban reforms and the implementation of current land policies is presented together with an example for its application in a project concerning the preservation of privately-owned residential buildings listed as “protected” cultural heritage (CH) constructions, urban planning and planning for affordable housing provision. The projects should be based on the voluntary participation of current property owners and an agreement signed between them and the private developer (team of professionals), so that the project will be self-financed through value capture measures to be decided by the state. The application presented here is based on the assumption that the state, by example, has set the rules for an increase in FAR in order to apply affordable housing policy and the preservation of listed CH residential private constructions. The state also provides the rules for identifying the target group of beneficiaries for affordable housing. Current property owners contribute the land, while the developer’s team undertakes all project costs. New property units are shared accordingly with the developer, the current owners and the beneficiaries for affordable housing. No additional public funds for the “affordable housing” units or for expropriation of the protected CH buildings is required.