ID021 Knowledge and technical culture to inform the preservation of reinforced concrete. Examples from Canton Ticino

The Canton of Ticino is characterised by a strong presence of architecture in exposed concrete, a material widely used for the construction of infrastructures, large buildings and single-family houses. The conservation of these buildings has been a recurring problem for several years now, and one that is not easy to solve, as shown by the many interventions that have failed even a brief test of time. Technical choices in this field are not easy because they depend on an analysis of the construction history of the works, on a complex diagnosis, on the recurrent impossibility of removing the cause of deterioration, on the choice of compatible materials and their correct application. Last but not least, the technical choices must respect the surface qualities of the building which, especially for works of cultural value and architectural significance, are an integral part of the message that is to be preserved and transmitted.