Strong as steel
Buildings from Europe's recent past made of iron or steel represent an important part of the continent's architectural and cultural heritage. The EU-funded project Consist investigated preservation techniques for steel and iron surfaces. It tested both classical and new preservation strategies to develop best practices in the field. Focusing on heritage structures related to industrial steel, the project developed guidelines for restoration that were used on different pilot sites. These included a mining museum in Germany, historical spiral staircases in Ireland and an open-air railway museum in Poland. The project's work involved comparative testing of resins and lacquers for iron, corrosion analyses, preservation treatments, appropriate cleaning methods, coating technology and management techniques. It published recommendations on the most effective and innovative preservation treatments and materials, in addition to ensuring ongoing dissemination of project results. These objectives were supported by a workshop and a seminar towards the end of the project. By the end of the project, new management concepts for treatment of heritage-related iron and metal structures had been developed, encouraging more sustainable development in the area of restoration. The project's results have been disseminated on its website as well as through conference presentations and several publications. This heralds a new era in conservation of metal or iron structures. Finally, much of Europe's ageing heritage structures can be saved.
