Technical and managerial challenges Proc. Instn Civ.

Engrs Structs &

of facade retention
Bldgs, 1999, 134,
Aug., 219±229

Paper 11717
A. G. F. Gibb, BSc, CEng, MICE, MCIOB , and W. D. Sher, BSc, MSc, MCIOB
Written discussion
closes 26 November
& When the outer walls of buildings are . total demolition of a building and replacing 1999
retained while the main building is demol- with a `modern' design
ished and replaced by a new structural . total demolition of a building and replacing
frame, a `retained facade' results. The with a `traditional' design.
challenges created by this method of con-
struction are unique and this paper What are retained facades?
focuses on the technical and managerial 2. Facade retention is a method of construc-
issues relating to this approach. It identi- tion where the envelope of an existing building
®es options for developing existing build- is retained (either in part or in its entirety)
ings; reasons for employing retained while the internal elements are removed and
facades; and important technical con- replaced with a new structure 2 (Fig. 1).
siderations which need to be addressed by
designers and contractors, including tem-
porary support, connection between Why are retained facades chosen?
facades and new structures, strengthening 3. Heritage reasons. Retained facades are
a facade's existing foundations and design a popular means of preserving our architec-
of new foundations for these facades. tural heritage, while at the same time upgrad-
Some of the major management implica- ing the internal spaces of a building. Much of
tions of retained facades are also our cityscape is considered by many to be
described. These include contractual worthy of retention. Although the architectural
issues, surveys, inspections and monitor- merit of this approach may be debated by
ing of facades, access and safety, pro- design purists, the general public tends to
gramming and statutory control. The prefer the old to the new. This often results in
paper is based on case studies of contem- strong architectural, social and legislative
porary construction projects, surveys of pressure to keep traditional buildings rather
construction engineers and managers, and than replace them with completely new build-
relevant literature. ings. Thus, various buildings become `listed'
for preservation. In fact it is often the facade
Keywords: buildings, structure & design; itself which is of interest, leading to the use of
management; temporary works retained facades connected to newly built
structures.
4. One of the other methods mentioned
Definition of and reasons for using
above is to replace a facade with a newly built
retained facades
copy of the original. Occasionally such con-
struction may reuse some or all of the original
What are the options for developing existing A. G. F. Gibb, Senior
materials but more commonly it recreates the
buildings? Lecturer, Department
traditional style and aesthetics using new of Civil and Building
In UK (and many other European) towns and
materials. 3 Most historians take the view that Engineering,
cities the development of new buildings is
retention of the existing with the absolute Loughborough
constrained by a lack of undeveloped sites, and
minimum of intervention or alteration is prefer- University
old buildings need to be redeveloped to make
able to such rebuilt options.
way for new ones. This may encompass any or
5. Environmental reasons. All construc-
all of the following scenarios: 1
tion work impacts on the environment and this
. retaining the structure of a building and has come under close scrutiny in recent years.
upgrading its services and ®nishes Buildings require materials which are obtained
. retaining the envelope of a building as well from existing resources. Many of these
as most of its internal structure, and resources are in limited supply, and/or their
upgrading its services and ®nishes replenishment causes further environmental
. retaining an existing building's entire upheaval. Raw materials must be formed into
envelope while making considerable altera- components, subassemblies and assemblies;
W. D. Sher, Senior
tions to the internal structure they must then be transported to manufactur- Lecturer, Department
. retaining some or all the external walls of a ing and assembly facilities and ultimately to a of Civil and Building
building, demolishing and replacing the building site, where they are installed. All of Engineering,
interior with a new structure (the main these activities require energy, which is Loughborough
focus of this paper) usually described as the `embodied energy' of a University
219

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 GIBB AND SHER

product, i.e. the total energy required to

produce a product and deliver it to site. Some
authorities also include the energy consumed
in disposing of a product at the end of its
useful life. Embodied energy is now used as
a means of comparing materials, with low
embodied energy being desirable. Although
considerable dispute surrounds the exact
calculation of embodied energy, the principles
are widely accepted and understood.
6. In most cases, any reduction in the use of
new materials reduces environmental impact. In
recent years there has been increased interest in
using recycled materials 4 to minimize the need
for new materials. Retained facades signi®-
cantly in¯uence this need. This is particularly
so for natural stoneworkÐa common facade
covering for city centre projects and a limited
resource worldwide.
7. Table 1 shows that the energy embodied
in a typical new-build facade for a city centre
building is between four and ®ve times more
than the energy required to retain the facade.
These ®gures are based on research at Lough-
borough University 5 and by West. 6
8. Because of the increased complexity of
retained facades, the structural frame may
require more energy to construct than a con-
ventional new-build project. However, the
energy savings which accrue as a result of
retaining a facade should considerably out-
weigh the additional energy that would be
consumed by the more complex frame solution.
9. Construction work also has an environ- support of a facade, the connection between the Fig. 1. Example of a
mental impact. Dust and noise are created as facade and the new structure, strengthening a retained facade
by-products of site processes for both construc- facade's existing foundations and the design of (source: HBG Kyle
tion and demolition. All demolition spoil must new foundations. Stewart)
be tipped or recycled, causing environmental
impact and requiring energy. Retaining a Temporary support of a facade
facade reduces dust, noise and the materials 13. The external facade of a building must
requiring tipping. be supported while its internal structure is
10. Commercial reasons. The fundamental demolished and reconstructed. This support
commercial reason for demolishing and need not be permanent, as new structures will
rebuilding a structure is to make ecient use eventually provide the necessary support. The
of internal space. The ¯oor-to-ceiling heights following factors need to be considered when
or clear spans of older buildings may not be designing temporary support systems.
suitable for contemporary business purposes. 14. Design considerations. All forces likely
Where a retained facade has been chosen, some to act on the retained facade need to be identi-
rationalization of ¯oor levels and column ®ed and accommodated. In this context, wind
spacing is possible by varying ¯oor-to- loading, on both sides of the facade, is likely to
window-sill heights. be the greatest. In addition, facades should be
11. It is generally cheaper to produce a sti€ enough so that eccentric loadings are not
complete new-build facility than to retain a created. 1 The impact of the following factors
facade. However, other motivating factors (such needs to be assessed:
as those already mentioned) necessitate this
approach. In most cases the retention of a . wind loading: as openings are likely to be
facade is required by `listing' and is not open to boarded up, the whole area to be retained
negotiation by developers. The implications of needs to be considered, as well as the
this must be included in developers' business exposed area of the support system, huts
plans. and hoardings
. impact forces in the eventuality of vehicles
Technical considerations colliding with the lower regions of the
12. This section deals with the temporary support system
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 CHALLENGES OF FACADE
RETENTION

Temporary strut
New frame New frame New frame Temporary support New frame to facade or
Temporary support
other structure
Existing facade Existing facade Existing facade Existing facade

Temporary Temporary
support support

Temporary
support

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Fig. 2. Categories of facade retention system: (a) external temporary support; (b) internal
temporary support; (c), (d) part external, part internal temporary support. Foundation details for
temporary support systems have been omitted for clarity. Details are schematic only

Table 1. Embodied-energy comparison for retained facade versus rebuilt facade: Hesketh House case study* 5

Data (courtesy of HBG Kyle Stewart)

Project location Central London

Original construction date 1927±1930
Facade type Load-bearing stone and brickwork with metal windows
Facade height 7 storeys, *25 m
Facade length *85 m

Embodied-energy analysis

Item Low value High value

Embodied-energy inputs: GJ
Replicated facade 3442 8678
Retained facade 868 1737

Energy comparison: %
(Retention/replication) 25 20

Energy factor
(Replication/retention) 4 5

*Assumptions:
. embodied-energy calculation method after West 6
. windows excluded, as replaced in both schemes
. 8th-storey mansard excluded, as new build in both schemes
. no allowance for travel distance of materials or operative input
. balustrades included in refurbishment
. new balconies included for both schemes
. internal plasterwork included, as replaced in both schemes
. insulation is 60 mm all over facade
. concrete is 150 mm all over facade
. structural steel within facade including ®xings estimated at 60 t
. direct energy input for retention is a proportion of the actual power used on site for the 28 week
refurbishment period (25% low/75% high)

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 GIBB AND SHER

. additional lateral forces or outward compo-

nents due to de¯ections and non-verticality
. an appropriate factor of safety should be
allowed against sliding and overturning
when designing support system foundations
. maintenance of the temporary support
. reducing the environmental impact of the
construction process on the surrounding
area.

15. Before designing support systems, con-

struction sites should be surveyed to establish

. the principal structural members of the

existing building, and how they ®t together
and are connected to the facade 7
. the dimensions of the facade (noting the
extent of out-of-plumb and/or bow) 7
. the form of construction of the facade and
materials used 7
. visible and likely hidden defects in the
facade 8
. alterations made to the facade during the
life of the building 7
. conditions below ground at basement and
foundation level, including any earlier
underpinning 7
. the loading of the facade 8
. the stability and structural integrity of the
facade and party walls 8
. suitable locations for temporary-works con-
nections to existing structures without
causing too much damage or creating
obstructions for further works 9
. how prone the temporary structure is to
in¯uences other than those designed for (e.g.
from misuse of construction plant 9 ) Fig. 3. Wholly
. implications for safety during the construc- external temporary
tion process and throughout the building's support system
life (CDM). (modular system)
(source: HBG Kyle
16. Categories of support system. When Stewart)
choosing a temporary support system, a major
consideration is building work around the
system, and that access is to be gained to the Part external, part internal systems incorporate
facade. 7 Where the support systems are on the the characteristics of both systems.
interior of a facade, careful planning of demoli- 18. Wholly external support systems. This
tion work, construction of the new building method typically incorporates an external
and erection and dismantling of the facade support with ties through window openings
support must be e€ected to ensure the smooth connecting the facade to the support system.
running of the project. 1 The most common systems use structural-steel
17. A convenient categorization of facade framing with mass concrete kentledge founda-
support systems is provided by High®eld 1,9 as tions to resist horizontal slide beneath pave-
wholly external; wholly internal and part exter- ment level. The structural steel usually takes
nal, part internal. These are shown schemati- the form of a continuous frame supporting the
cally in Fig. 2. External systems have the major facade length but may consist of horizontal
advantage of not obstructing the progress of trusses between braced towers. An example is
demolition and construction activities. Internal shown in Fig. 3, which shows a continuous
support systems do interfere but have the steel frame located externally to support a
advantage of keeping all building elements facade. A proprietary modular system has been
within the perimeter of a construction site, thus used here, although often `structural' steel
not obstructing the ¯ow of pedestrians and members are preferred. A structural-steel
vehicles on thoroughfares adjacent to the site. gantry may be used to provide a walkway for
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 CHALLENGES OF FACADE
RETENTION

pedestrians on the pavement beneath the scaf-

fold (Fig. 3). Less often, an independent tied
sca€old acting as a vertical cantilever may be
used instead of a steel frame.
19. Wholly internal support systems. Some
of the systems used to support facades intern-
ally are similar to those used externally.
However, there are added complications asso-
ciated with erecting and dismantling these
systems during demolition and the subsequent
construction of new structures. Fig. 4 shows an
internal support system, and Fig. 5 shows sec-
tions of an internal support system being
removed after completion of a new frame.
20. These internal support systems include:
. continuous structural steel or sca€old
frames
. structural-steel braced towers with trusses
spanning between
. raking shores of timber, sca€old, structural
steel or push/pull props
. ¯ying shores, horizontal trusses or walings
spanning between vertical trusses stabilized
by ¯ank walls
. ¯ying shores, horizontal trusses or walings
spanning directly between ¯ank walls
. ¯ying shores at a corner of a building
strutted across the building with horizontal
forces transferred to ¯ank walls (usually
where there is a lack of space on the exterior
of a facade)
. facades supported vertically on portal
damaging the existing facade. The techniques Fig. 4. Internal
frames
used to achieve this are similar to those support system
. facades supported by internal and/or party
employed in tying sca€old to a building eleva- (courtesy of Laing
walls, while ¯oors are replaced (some form
tion. Horizontal sca€old or structural steel is Management Ltd)
of additional internal support will usually
passed through an opening, with folding
be required).
wedges and wall plates being used to `collar'
21. Figure 6 shows an internal support
system that uses existing walls perpendicular
to a facade as support, accompanied by push/
pull ¯ying props and strutted push/pull props
at the junctions between the facade and the
internal walls.
22. Part external, part internal support sys-
tems. These systems combine various
methods of wholly external and wholly internal
support systems.
23. The factors which ultimately decide the
type of support system to be used include
. cost: systems need to be ®nancially viable
as well as buildable
. eciency: often ease of installation and
dismantling is the most in¯uential criterion
. space: the amounts of space on the street
Fig. 5. Temporary
side of a facade and on site often dictate the
support frame being
type of support system.
removed from a
24. Connection of the facade to the tempor- facade after
ary support system. Temporary support completion of new
systems often make use of existing openings in structure (courtesy of
a facade to connect the facade to temporary Laing Management
supports. This has the added advantage of not Ltd)
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 GIBB AND SHER

the facade. Adjustable reveal ties may also be

used. Where existing openings are not avail-
able, threaded steel rods may be passed
through the facade material and secured by
collars on either side of the facade. One of the
collars is usually welded to a waling on the
temporary support. Alternative approaches
include using resin-anchored tie bars and/or
welding temporary support systems to the
steel frame within a retained facade.
25. Temporary foundation design.
Retained-facade temporary support systems
often require their own independent founda-
tions, irrespective of whether the support is
external or internal. 1,7 Where structural-steel
frames or towers are used, these need to be
®rmly ®xed at the base so that lateral forces
occurring at higher levels may be safely
resisted. Foundations should be heavy enough
to resist uplift but, where possible, should not
punch into the ground. 8 They should also be
able to resist sliding towards or away from a
building. Where temporary foundations need to
be close to the facade or the facade is unstable,
short bored piles may be used, ground condi-
tions permitting.
26. Innovative solutions. Innovation is
key. Notwithstanding the `classic' approaches
described above, other cost-e€ective solutions
may be devised. Examples include the follow-
ing.
. not transmit any vertical loads from the new Fig. 6. Wholly
. Steel frames of new structures partly sup- structure to the retained facade internal temporary
porting a facadeÐinstead of devising a . be capable of accommodating any predicted support system using
completely independent support system. di€erential settlement between the new and walls perpendicular to
. Existing internal load-bearing masonry retained structures without causing damage facade and strutted
walls acting in shear to partly support a to either the new or the retained structure or props (source: HBG
retained facade. to the ties Kyle Stewart)
. Braced steel towers and trusses used on the . be long-lasting and protected against
internal side of a facade so that mass damage by ®re. 1
concrete kentledge bases for the support
28. Techniques. The most popular tech-
systems could be incorporated into the
niques include the following.
foundations of the new building.
. Trusses used for temporary support span- . Anchoring steel tie-bars into facade materi-
ning between the party walls (where exist- als using a rapid-setting resinous mortar.
ing buildings rely on these walls for Two methods are commonly used: in one,
stability). With this method no towers or resin and aggregates contained in phials are
braced frames are required, keeping costs to placed in predrilled holes and steel tie-bars
a minimum. In addition, the trusses may be are spun into position; and in the other,
suspended to prevent interference with resinous mortar is pumped into holes, with
ground works. tie-bars subsequently being spun or pushed
into the mortar.
Connection between facade and new structure . Using one of the various forms of through-
27. Another technical challenge of all facade tie (passing completely through a facade).
retention schemes is that of permanently tying . Welding support systems directly to suita-
the facade to the new structure. The technique ble structural steel present within the
used to replace the lateral restraint previously retained facade (this approach is not as
supplied by the existing building and/or tem- widely used as the others). The steel
porary support consists of a mechanical tie must obviously be in good condition and
system. There are various forms of facade tie, should be strong enough to suit the loading
all of which should conditions.
. hold back the facade to the new building, 29. To complete these connections to new
preventing any outward movement structures, tie bars can be embedded directly
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 CHALLENGES OF FACADE
RETENTION

into concrete slabs of the new construction or Angle with

slotted hole
connected indirectly by the use of steel angles.
30. Bell 11 identi®es the problems of using New floor
resin-anchored ties as

. ®xings not being strong enough to with- Brick slip

stand the pull-out forces exerted on them

. disintegration of the stonework or masonry Pocket over
of a facade either during the drilling process Plate nut and hole
Rod
or from the pressure exerted by the ®xings Beam
. resin seeping away through cracks and Brick wall Fig. 7. Masonry
holes in the facade wall, resulting in inse-
Compressible filler
through-tie 7
cure connections.

31. One problem with through-ties is that of

concealing the plate on the front of the facade.
Fig. 7 shows a ®xing concealed with brick slips.
32. A series of ultimate-load tests on the
proposed ®xings for pull-out is important so
that the most appropriate solution is chosen for Settlement of
the facade material in question. Goodchild 12 new structure

recommends that all restraint ties and anchors 70 mm slotted hole

Slotted hole allows new structure
are tested to 1´5 times their working load after in facade-tie angle
to settle by up to 50 mm
insertion into a facade.
33. Di€erential settlement and durability.
Facade ties need to accommodate di€erential
settlement between the retained and the new . changes in moisture content leading to Fig. 8. Connection of
structure. Foundation movement is covered movement of shallow footings in clay resin anchors to new
later in this paper. If settlement of a new struc- . altering the e€ect of walls adjacent to a structure 1
ture is expected, the extent should be calcu- facade by removing them, i.e. altering the
lated as closely as possible. Designing rigid load pattern on the foundations when the
connections between the facade and the new existing structure behind the facade is
structure is potentially critical if settlement demolished
develops. Methods of accommodating di€eren- . deterioration of steel, concrete or timber in
tial movement include foundations
. addition of extra loads to a facade
. using indirect angled ties with slotted . vibration from nearby trac or change of
vertical holes through which tie-bars pass building use (this is highly likely in a city
(Fig. 8) centre environment, particularly with old
. providing a slip surface or void between buildings and foundations)
columns and edges of slabs in the new
structure and the facade (Fig. 9).

34. Finally, Van Hulst 13 observed that

`problems in facades . . . are often solved by
engineers with the use of joints without con-
sidering the quality and durability of this joint
at the same time'. This stores up problems for
the future. Designers should consider not only
the type of joint to be used, but also the
Minimum 12 mm thick strip
materials employed as well. of compressible fibreboard

Strengthening a facade's existing foundations

35. There may be incompatibility between
the foundations of a new structure and those of
a retained facade, or there may be deterioration
of a facade's foundations which requires
improvement. 7 Factors that cause these prob-
lems include

. undermining of foundations by nearby con- Fig. 9. Interface

struction work, e.g. excavations for drain- 1 or 2 layers details permitting
age, construction of basements or the of slipstrip settlement of new
construction of new buildings structure 1
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 GIBB AND SHER

. removal of overburden adjacent to a facade,

causing ground heave and a reduction in
ground bearing capacity (though this is less
likely in a city centre site).
New columns
36. If the foundations of a new structure are located adjacent
likely to cause problems to a facade's existing to retained facade
foundations, it is simplest to avoid such situa- Retained facade
tions. This may be achieved by

. widening the new foundation to reduce

bearing pressures
. deepening the foundation to bear on more Outer and inner
substantial ground foundations structurally
. moving the zone of in¯uence of the founda- connect
tion out of the area of ground a€ected by
construction work. 7

Notwithstanding this, a popular method of

strengthening foundations is to connect exist-
ing facade foundations to those of new build-
Eccentric load on
ings. foundation creates
37. Figure 10 shows an example where overturning effect which is
balanced-base foundations are used to prevent counterbalanced by axial
load on inner foundation
damage to the stability of a retained facade.

New foundation design Management implications of retained Fig. 10. Balanced-

38. Detailed design of foundations is facades base foundation 1
obviously the responsibility of design engineers 41. Project teams must be aware of those
and should be based upon a detailed considera- managerial aspects and implications of facade
tion of the existing and new structures and retention projects which di€er from those of
ground conditions. There are no standard solu- traditional projects. A number of these are
tions, but the following general comments can discussed here.
be made. The foundations of new structures
may not be directly associated with a retained Risk management
facade unless they are incorporated into the 42. The e€ective management of risk, by
facade's existing foundations. However, a poor both client and contractor teams, is essential
design solution could have devastating conse- for the successful completion of facade reten-
quences for the stability and integrity of a tion projects.
facade whose self-weight is supported by its 43. Client's risk management. The consid-
own foundations. Where upgrading of existing erations include
facade foundations has occurred, it may be
possible to place the foundations for the new . the decision to retain rather than rebuild a
structure in close proximity to the existing facade
foundations without a€ecting their stability. . adequate ®nancial provision for unknown
39. Piled foundations are commonly used in factors
city centre facade retention projects because . adequate programme provision for unknown
factors
. of the poor-quality ground usually found on . adequate provision for extra design work by
these sites the main project designer
. piled foundations have a zone of in¯uence . possible implications for building layout
which is deep enough to avoid that of and eventual use
existing facade foundations (which are . CDM responsibilities for health and safety
usually at a higher level). issues
. planning approval for development.
40. Quite often, facade retention projects
44. Contractor's risk management. The
incorporate basements. These are frequently
considerations include
constructed using contiguous piled walls. The
foundations of retained facades will almost . contractual arrangements for dealing with
always require strengthening in these situa- the cost and programme implications of
tions and it is often possible to integrate the unknown works
strengthening of existing foundations into new . `back-to-back' contractual arrangements
basement construction. with clients and specialist contractors
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 CHALLENGES OF FACADE
RETENTION

. health and safety implications at all surveys (to establish how a facade is loaded,
stagesÐespecially the removal of internal how it is supported by existing buildings, any
temporary frames after completion of any structural weaknesses which may need repair-
new structure ing, and the integrity of the foundations).
. environmental control measures to reduce Goodchild and Kaminski 12 identify the follow-
the impact of construction on surrounding ing surveys and analyses to inform the design
areas and erection of temporary support systems:
. adequate allowance for works after the
removal of temporary frames. . a detailed geometrical and level survey of
existing buildings, recording ¯oor plans,
Contractual issues elevational and cross-sectional facade
45. Contract type and contractual elements. details and, where necessary, a survey of
The type of contract used is independent of the verticality of facade walls
whether or not a project incorporates a facade . establish all original construction details
retention scheme. However, various contractual and materials
elements are peculiar to this type of work. . inspect facades internally and externally to
These include bill items for prime cost and pro- identify any repair work or strengthening
visional sums, daywork, general and speci®c work required
attendance and preliminary costs. For many . excavate trial pits to reveal existing foun-
projects, retained-facade work contains the dations or obstructions in critical areas
greatest extent of work which cannot be fully . provide a preliminary assessment of the
identi®ed at the start of a project. existing and probable post-demolition state
46. Subcontractors. These schemes prob- of loading and stress in a facade
ably require subcontract packages for . determine the extent of temporary lateral
and vertical support required for facade,
. design of temporary support party, ¯ank and basement walls as well as
. installation of temporary support any other elements to be retained.
. stone-cleaning and restoration
. refurbishment and/or replacement of exist- 50. Inspections prior to construction. If the
ing windows main contractor is not responsible for the
. replacement of architectural metalwork design and/or erection of the facade temporary
. design of connections between the facade support system and arrives on site after such
and new structure work has been completed, the facade and
. monitoring and surveying support system should inspected by the con-
. injection of damp-proof courses tractor to determine their condition. Such
. groundworks where existing facade founda- inspections are frequently recorded by means
tions need to be strengthened. of photographs, surveys of position and level,
and design checks by in-house engineers. In
47. The number and extent of subcontract
addition, the main contractor should check the
packages obviously depends on the nature of
following:
the scheme and the type of main-contract
organization. Some contractors may have the . that temporary works have allowed for new
resources to perform the majority of the work construction
themselves, but in most cases contractors prefer . that retention schemes have been inspected
to sublet all activities pertaining to a retained and signed o€ by a competent person
facade. . that retention schemes are adequate for
48. Temporary-support responsibilities. their intended purpose during all stages of
Complications may arise where demolition construction.
work is separated contractually from construc-
tion workÐparticularly on projects where only 51. After this inspection, the contractor may
the facade is to be retained. Light 8 recommends be required to produce a full report of the
that main contractors take responsibility for inspection and its results. Even where the main
the temporary support works to the facade and contractor is responsible for the design and/or
ensure that permanent works can be built erection of temporary support systems, these
around them. Furthermore, the responsibility should be reinspected after the demolition of
and role of the permanent-works designer must existing buildings.
be clearly de®ned, particularly regarding load 52. Inspections and monitoring during con-
transfer from temporary to permanent works. struction. Throughout the construction of a
new building, retained structures should be
Surveys, inspections and monitoring inspected, monitored and surveyed weekly, or
49. Surveys. Bell 11 identi®ed various at least at monthly intervals and always after
surveys required at the start of a project, periods of severe weather.
including a condition survey (to establish any 53. Main contractors normally have full
faults or defects) and detailed and structural responsibility for the day-to-day monitoring of
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 GIBB AND SHER

facades and temporary support systems. Visual paid to preventing noise, dust pollution and
inspections should be made to ensure that vibration. During demolition work, all existing
windows in a facade should be boarded or
. the public and site workers are safe
sheeted to prevent dust and debris escaping.
. the temporary works are safe, properly
adjusted, and have not been tampered with
. the connections and packing between the Programming
facade and support are maintained 61. Allowances in construction programmes
. the facade is still structurally sound should be made for
. excessive movement has not occurred. . surveying of facades and existing structures
54. The connections between the facade and . lead-in times for the design, prefabrication
the new structure should be inspected `as and/or manufacture of support systems
constructed' and relevant quality control . design approval
assessment forms completed. The Health and . statutory-body approval (Planning and
Safety Executive 14 recommends that 25% of Building Regulations)
connections are tested before work proceeds . surveying of party walls
when dismantling temporary support systems. . inspections to satisfy statutory require-
55. Contingency plans. If excessive move- ments.
ment of a facade is detected, a contingency In addition, it should be noted that the nature
plan must be available to prevent total col- of facade retention projects extend programme
lapse. It should be possible to implement this times because
plan at very short notice.
. it takes longer to handle materials, as these
Access need to be lifted over the facade
56. Access to a facade must be provided to . constricted city sites slow down work
enable . some construction activities must progress
in tandem with others
. installation of temporary works
. construction work next to a facade needs to
. adjustments of temporary works, where
progress at a cautious rate.
necessary
. surveys, inspections and monitoring 62. Careful consideration needs to be given
. repair and refurbishment of the facade to the delivery and handling of materials. A
. installation of new elements into the facade delivery schedule for the following day's work
(including windows and ¯ashings) will often have to be issued to local trac
. samples to be taken from the facades police, with early-morning and late-night deliv-
. general access. eries generally being requested. In addition,
Access is usually provided by sca€old systems because of the congested nature of many of
incorporating external ladders, or by sca€old these projects, there may be little room to store
platforms provided on the temporary support materials. Storage on temporary support
system. Where an external support system is systems may sometimes be a viable means to
used, provision must be made to allow continu- alleviate this problem.
ous use of the pavement. This is normally
achieved by constructing a covered walkway Statutory controls
under the ®rst-¯oor gantry of the support 63. In England, English Heritage (EH) often
system. has a close involvement in facade retention
projects. EH inspectors are particularly inter-
Safety ested in the repair and refurbishment of
57. Access should be subject to safety facades, to ensure that their design remains
procedures in accordance with best sca€old unchanged and that there is no adverse devel-
practice and ®re points should be provided at opment of them. Such involvement often com-
working levels. mences at the inception and design stage.
58. Hoardings and netting around tempor- 64. Design calculations for the temporary
ary support should provide catchment areas for support of the facade may require building
falling debris, while the lowest gantry level control approval in addition to that for the
above the point of public access should be permanent-works design.
double-boarded and covered by a plastic
membrane. Concluding comments
59. For external support systems, a crash 65. Retained-facade projects provide a
barrier of large timbers with warning lights unique challenge for designers and managers.
should be erected at the pavement kerb to Cost-e€ective and successful solutions result, in
protect the support against collision of vehicles. many cases, from innovative design and a
60. Because most retained-facade projects thorough appreciation of the technical and
are located in city centres, attention needs to be organizational challenges of each project.
228

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 CHALLENGES OF FACADE
RETENTION

Acknowledgements 6. W E S T J. Embodied Energy in the Environ-

66. Acknowledgement is made to Mark mental Assessment of Building Materials.
Lambert and Giles Wake®eld from the Con- Building Research Establishment, Watford,
struction Engineering Management Programme 1994.
7. CIRIA. Structural Renovation of Traditional
at Loughborough University, whose work con-
Buildings. Construction Industry Research
tributed to this paper. Thanks are also due to Information Association, London, 1986, Report
hbg Kyle Stewart and Laing Management Ltd, 111.
who provided the photographic materials used. 8. L I G H T P. Permanent/Temporary Works Interface,
Paper 7: Economic Construction Techniques.
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