Disasters can strike at anytime, sometimes with little or no warning. Experience has shown us that while natural disasters can leave a path of destruction there are also man-made disasters that can bring an area to its knees.
Being informed and preparing for those that could affect you are key to saving your site, building and collections.
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If any substantial changes are planned to prepare a historic building for a disaster please refer to the Secretary of Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Structures and check with all local and state authorities before making any changes.
This article provides information on disaster preparedness in the face of floods, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes.
NCPTT has released updated Building and Site Condition Assessment forms and a database for use in documenting the devastating effects of natural disasters on historic properties.
FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Program are already putting these tools to good use to document effects of the April tornado outbreaks throughout Alabama.
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The Breaking the Virtual Barrier project provided a unique opportunity for Jefferson Community and Technical College to advance the knowledge base in providing instruction in the construction trades. The project provided the opportunity to expand an existing partnership with the Dry Stone Conservancy and pilot unique ways to use emerging technology to provide instruction in the field of preservation trades training.
While the original project involved utilizing Interactive Television as the means for broadcasting preservation trades courses, ultimately wireless digital technology was used for implementation. A one week dry stone masonry course was conducted at two college sites some fifty miles apart. The course was broadcast in real time to both sites simultaneously. The Master Instructor alternated sites each day so students at each site had the experience of interacting with him since this was a pilot project.
The implementation of the project presented its share of technological challenges, but none were impossible to solve. Future projects will benefit from the lessons learned by all parties in the process. At the end, the project was successful in that we were able to use wireless digital technology to transmit real time video and audio to both sites making the instructional experience interactive. It is then possible to take the instructors expertise and broadcast this to students in remote locations.
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NCPTT partnered with CARI to determine the durability of traditional and modified limewash recipes. CARI wanted to identify a lasting, low-cost limewash that was applied in approximately three layers and would last three to five years. Quality Finish, a local paint contractor, joined the project to ensure that limewash could be applied by local craftsmen outside of a laboratory setting.
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The newly created Natchitoches Parish African American Cultural Heritage Initiative (NPAACHI) is working to develop sustainable communities in Natchitoches Parish, La., that serve as heritage destinations and improve the quality of life for residents. The National Center for Preservation Technology & Training, which is headquartered in Natchitoches, is sponsoring the initial research and documentation for [...]
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Technical Preservation Services of the National Park Service has released a set of illustrated guidelines to help improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings while preserving their historic character.
The Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings offer practical advice to building owners, developers, and preservation practitioners, showing recommended – and not recommended – approaches [...]
In 2003, the Infrared and Raman Users Group received NCPTT support to develop and implement an online collaborative database and bibliography of high quality infrared reference spectra. Currently, the database contains over 1250 spectra of oils, waxes, natural and synthetic resins, dyes, pigments, proteins, gums, and minerals.
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In 2000, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) published an NCPTT funded training manual on the subject of lead paint and historic buildings.
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Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. In this edition of the podcast, we join NCPTT’s Andy Ferrell as he speaks with Patrick Sparks, [...]
