Vibration Monitoring of the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Australia
摘要
Fabric in heritage buildings can be sensitive to environmental factors and vibrations caused by weather events, environmental factors, occupancy, and building use, with fragile material particularly susceptible to damage. The use of the building is often intrinsic to its heritage value, which requires careful consideration when determining conservation strategies. Deterioration on the interior of the Royal Exhibition Building has been observed including loss of painted finishes and plaster mouldings which are likely caused by long-term and intermittent water ingress. Historically significant murals painted on lime plaster applied to unreinforced brick masonry have become drummy and detached from the substrate, risking loss of original paint finishes. A monitoring program is implemented using vibration monitors, relative humidity monitors, and weather stations with results analyzed quarterly alongside external environmental factors and commercial activities for a period of 18 months to determine any ongoing causes of degradation. Vibration results and their causes from the first two quarters of the program are examined and assessed against indicative values from Swiss standard SN 640 312. Due to its fragility, lime plasterwork on unreinforced brickwork is of particular interest and examined during strong wind events, amplified music, and building use which is primarily for exhibitions.