GREEN MAINTENANCE FOR HERITAGE BUILDING: A PERSPECTIVE ON LATERITE STONES REPLACEMENT

Abstract

The benchmark emphasised in research for the maintenance of heritage building had been vitally set to support a sustainability concept. The discussion revolves throughout the economic, societal and environmental parameters. Primarily, the low carbon repair had been given the main privilege in achieving sustainable repair and this was supported by ‘Green Maintenance’ concept and methodology. Previously, laterite stone replacement technique was recognised as a sustainable repair technique in terms of their embodied carbon expenditure over a number of repair scenarios, represented by the total Environmental Maintenance Impact (EMI). The total of EMI is calculated through formulaic expression within ‘cradle-to-gate’ boundary of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Hence, the goal of this paper is to explore and expand the practicality of laterite stone replacement technique utilised for heritage buildings located in Melaka Historical City, Malaysia, in the lens of ‘Green Maintenance’ concept and methodology. Subsequent discussion highlights the series of process incurred in conducting laterite stone replacement within the boundary of ‘cradle-site’, by considering the character of laterite stone for building purposes, quarrying method that reflects the energy content (carbon impact) and also the transportation impact. It is found that limited resourcing location is the main factor of high-emitted CO2 emissions in stone replacement technique. Therefore, significant effort should be made in re-opening an old quarry or using a salvaged material to reduce CO2 emissions in laterite stone replacement. Implicationally, ‘Green Maintenance’ had been proven as a practical tool in assisting the conservation players in making precise and nuanced decision-making in selecting the most sustainable repair in maintaining heritage buildings.