CHENNAI: Anna University will soon come up with the latest technologies to restore and preserve heritage structures in the State, after consultations with top experts in the field. The Division of Structural Engineering Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering, Guindy Anna University, will be discussing how to repair and restore structures designed to have a service life of 50-100 years as per Indian and international codes of practice.

A senior AU professor said many of these structures, for various reasons, deteriorate prematurely, and need to be repaired, strengthened or retrofitted.

He said a panel comprising experts from academia and industry will carry out conditional assessment, rehabilita tion and strengthening of structures, with practical insight through case studies and active interaction with experts.

According to the professor, the main objective of the gathering is to enhance the stakeholders’ knowledge of repairing and retrofitting heritage structures and networking with experts.

He said various themes including waterproofing and methods to arrest leakages, retrofitting joints and columns of concrete structures, retrofitting of foundation/structure, will be discussed.

He pointed out that under Restoration of the Heritage Building Plan, the State government has undertaken renovation of archival buildings at Rs 9.32 crore.

He said the institution also undertook consultancy and extension work, thus helping engineers design, construct, and maintain various types of structures even while advocating quality improvement, ways of strengthening and checking structural stability and creating cost-effective heritage structural designs.

“Chennai is home to several Indo-Saracenic buildings that resemble Mughal and Roman style. There is need for intervention by academia and institutes as several heritage structures require structural assessments and strengthening,” said former Park Town MLA Ku Srinivasan.