Our heritage has cultural, architectural and technological value and preserving such structures is a key issue today.
One distinct feature of human society since the dawn of civilization is the systematic use of inorganic building materials, such as natural stone, unburnt and burnt soil, adobe and brick, inorganic binders like lime and cement, and reinforced concrete. One factor in this knowledge base is an understanding of how historic materials were prepared and the crucial properties that influence their long-term behaviour. The authors are all leading international experts, drawn from a variety of backgrounds: architecture, civil engineering, conservation science, geology and material science, with close links to professional organisations such as ICOMOS or universities and research centres throughout Europe.