FEATURE
INGENIEUR
Heritage Buildings : Sources of Damage and Assessment Methods
By Ir . Raizal Saifulnaz Muhammad Rashid Ahmad Azim Shukri Faculty of Engineering Universiti Putra Malaysia
The United Nations Educational , Scientific
and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ) classifies cultural heritage into three general categories :
1 . “ Monuments ”, which include architectural works and works of monumental sculpture and painting ;
2 . “ Groups of buildings ”, which refer to groups of separate or connected buildings with outstanding universal values in terms of history , art or science ; and
3 . “ Sites ”, which are works of man or the combined works of nature and man , and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical , aesthetical , ethnological or anthropological points of view .
Malaysia ’ s Natural Heritage Act 2005 defines heritage as one of two categories :
1 . “ Cultural Heritage ” which includes cultural property , structure or artefact that is pertinent to the historical or contemporary Malaysian way of life ; and
2 . “ Natural Heritage ” which include the natural feature of any area in Malaysia of outstanding value from the point of view of nature , science , historical conservation or natural beauty , including flora and fauna .
From 1990 until 2000 , the Malaysian Department of National Heritage had taken several initiatives to protect Malaysian heritage buildings , resulting in more than 30 buildings being conserved and restored , such as Fort Cornwallis , Tengkera Mosque , Kampung Hulu Mosque , Kapitan Kling Mosque and the Stadhuys building ( Harun , 2011 ). Efforts to promote cultural heritage in Malaysia
Figure 1 : Heritage buildings destroyed by fire in Sungai Lembing ( Source : Bernama , 2019a ).
resulted in the Malacca Historical City as well as the Inner City of George Town being listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as World Heritage Sites in 2008 . Due to the age of the heritage buildings , a significant amount of care must be provided for them . This article details some of the challenges faced in conservation of heritage buildings in Malaysia , as well as some guidelines for assessment of damage .
Damage and Deterioration of Heritage Buildings
If there is one problem that has plagued historic buildings around the world , it is the destruction caused by fire . The causes of heritage site fires can be arson , human error , faulty equipment , or a natural disaster ( Huang et al ., 2009 ). Fire is especially a danger to heritage buildings in Malaysia , as most are made from timber , which is combustible , although it should be noted that even
36 VOL 85 JANUARY - MARCH 2021