SALT ATTACK and DAMPNESS DIAGNOSES of HERITAGE BUILDINGS in PENANG, MALAYSIA by HARIS FADZILAH BIN ABDUL RAHMAN @ DRAHMAN Thesis
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SALT ATTACK AND DAMPNESS DIAGNOSES OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS IN PENANG, MALAYSIA by HARIS FADZILAH BIN ABDUL RAHMAN @ DRAHMAN Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science April 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project would not have been possible without the support of many people. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Dr. A. Ghafar Ahmad who had been helpful and had offered invaluable assistance, support and guidance throughout my candidature period. Special thanks also to all my colleagues, friends and the academic and the supporting staffs from the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia for their invaluable assistance. Lastly, I owe my deepest gratitude to my beloved wife and children for their support, understanding & endless love, through the duration of my studies. ii TABLE OF CONTENT Page Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………… ii Table of Content ………………………………………………………… iii List of Tables …………………………………………………………… viii List of Figures …………………………………………………………… xi List of Plates ………………………………………………………………… xiv List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………… xv Abstrak …………………………………………………………………… xvi Abstract …………………………………………………………………… xviii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Objectives of the Study 5 1.3 Research Questions 5 1.4 Organisation of the Thesis 7 CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 8 2.2 Global Initiative on Conservation 9 2.3 Conservation of Heritage Buildings in Malaysia 14 2.3.1 Official Conservation Committees 15 2.3.2 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) 16 2.3.3 Charitable Trusts 17 2.4 Conservation Process in Malaysia 18 iii 2.5 Types of Building Defects 20 2.5.1 Dampness Problems 21 2.5.2 Salt Attack 22 2.5.3 Inadequate or Defective Rainwater Goods 22 2.5.4 Termite Infestation 23 2.6 Other Studies on Salt Attack and Rising Damp 24 2.7 Summary 28 CHAPTER 3 – SALT ATTACK AND RISING DAMP 3.1 Introduction 30 3.2 Salt Attack 30 3.3 Salts 30 3.3.1 Characteristic of Salts 31 3.3.2 Classification of Salts 32 3.3.3 Salt Properties 33 3.3.4 Salt Formations 34 3.3.5 Combination of Acids and Bases 34 3.4 Indicators of Salt Attack in Building 37 3.5 The Causes of Salt Attack 38 3.6 The Effects of Salt Attack 40 3.7 Rising Damp 42 3.8 Detecting Rising Damp in Building 44 3.9 The Causes of Rising Damp 45 3.10 The Effects of Rising Damp 46 3.11 Summary 47 iv CHAPTER 4 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4.1 Introduction 48 4.2 Scope of the Study 48 4.3 Research Approach 53 4.4 Case Studies 55 4.5 The Dilapidation Survey 57 4.6 Sample Collection 58 4.7 Treatment of Salt Attack and Rising Damp 60 4.8 The Ion Chromatography Laboratory Test 63 4.9 Summary 64 CHAPTER 5 – SALT ATTACK AND RISING DAMP PROBLEMS IN SELECTED HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN PENANG 5.1 Introduction 66 5.2 Old City Hall, Penang 66 5.2.1 Dilapidation Survey of the Old City Hall 67 5.2.2 Areas Most Affected by Rising Damp and Salt Attack 70 in the Old City Hall 5.2.3 Factors Causing the Salt Attack and Rising Damp Problems 72 in the Old City Hall 5.2.4 Ion Chromatography Test for the Old City Hall 73 5.3 Old Town Hall, Penang 76 5.3.1 Dilapidation Survey of the Old Town Hall 77 5.3.2 Areas Most Affected by Rising Damp and Salt Attack 78 in the Old Town Hall 5.3.3 Factors Causing the Salt Attack and Rising Damp Problems 81 in the Old Town Hall 5.3.4 Ion Chromatography Test for the Old Town Hall 81 v 5.4 Old Penang High Court 86 5.4.1 Dilapidation Survey of the Old Penang High Court 87 5.4.2 Areas Most Affected by Rising Damp and Salt Attack 93 in the Old Penang High Court 5.4.3 Factors Causing Salt Attack and Rising Damp Problems 95 in the Old Penang High Court 5.4.4 Ion Chromatography Test for the Old Penang High Court 96 5.5 Makam Noordin, Penang 100 5.5.1 Dilapidation Survey of Makam Noordin 101 5.5.2 Areas Most Affected by Rising Damp and Salt Attack 104 in Makam Noordin 5.5.3 Factors Causing Salt Attack and Rising Damp Problems 105 in Makam Noordin 5.5.4 Ion Chromatography Test for Makam Noordin 106 5.6 Masjid Alimsah Waley and Four Units of Shophouses, Penang 108 5.6.1 Dilapidation Survey of Masjid Alimsah Waley 109 and Four Units of Shophouses 5.6.2 Areas Most Affected by Rising Damp and Salt Attack 114 in Masjid Alimsah Waley and Four Units of Shophouses 5.6.3 Factors Causing Salt Attack and Rising Damp Problems 116 in Masjid Alimsah Waley and Four Units of Shophouses 5.6.4 Ion Chromatography Test for Masjid Alimsah Waley 117 and Four Units of Shophouses 5.7 Summary 120 vi CHAPTER 6 – CONCLUSION 6.1 Introduction 123 6. 2 Main Findings 123 6.3 Best Common Treatment to be Standardised for Masonry Colonial 124 Heritage Buildings in Malaysia 6.3.1 Guidelines for Treatment of Salt Attack 125 6.3.2 Guidelines for Treatment of Rising Damp 126 6.4 Treatments of Salt Attack and Rising Damp 127 6.4.1 Treatment of Rising Damp 128 6.4.2 Treatment of Salt Attack 130 Bibliography Appendix 1 List of publications related to the thesis Appendix 2 Glossary Appendix 3 Photos of the diagnoses and treatment for Salt Attack and Rising Damp vii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1 Initiatives under the Athens Charter 9 Table 2.2 Text approved during the Second International Congress 10 of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, Venice from May 25th to 31st 1964 (The Venice Charter) Table 5.1 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples of the 74 Old City Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone E) Table 5.2 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts in 74 Masonry Samples of the Old City Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone E) Table 5.3 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples of 82 the Old Town Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone H) Table 5.4 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts 82 in Masonry Samples of the Old Town Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone H) Table 5.5 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples of 84 the Old Town Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone M) viii Table 5.6 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts 84 in Masonry Samples of the Old Town Hall before and after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone M) Table 5.7 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples 97 of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P1 Table 5.8 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of Destructive Salts 97 in Masonry Samples of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P1 Table 5.9 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples 98 of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P2 Table 5.10 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of Destructive Salts 99 in Masonry Samples of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P2 Table 5.11 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples 106 of Makam Noordin Zone before and after Salt Desalination (Zone AB) Table 5.12 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts 107 in Masonry Samples of Makam Noordin before and after Salt Desalination (Zone AB) ix Table 5.13 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples 117 of Masjid Alimsah Waley before and after Salt Desalination Table 5.14 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts 117 in Masonry Samples of Masjid Alimsah Waley before and after Salt Desalination Table 5.15 Percentage of Ionic Concentration in Masonry Samples 118 of the Shophouses before and after Salt Desalination Table 5.16 Percentage of Ionic Concentration of the Destructive Salts 119 in Masonry Samples of the Shophouses before and after Salt Desalination Table 6.1 Factors Affecting the Severity of Rising Damp 123 and Salt Attack Problems x LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 3.1 Causes of Salt Attack 39 Figure 3.2 Typical Cross Section of Masonry Wall in Colonial Old 44 Buildings Figure 4.1 The Heritage Core and Buffer Zone of George Town, 50 Penang Figure 4.2 Research Approach Flow Chart 54 Figure 4.3 Locations of the Buildings for the Case Studies in Relation to 56 the Heritage Zones Figure 5.1 Areas Most Affected by Salt Attack Problems at the 71 Old City Hall Figure 5.2 Location Plan of Old City Hall 71 Figure 5.3 Differences in the Percentage of Ionic Concentration of 74 the Destructive Salts in Masonry Samples of the Old City Hall after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone E) Figure 5.4 Areas Most Affected by Salt Attack Problems at the 79 Old Town Hall Figure 5.5 Location Plan of Old Town Hall 80 xi Figure 5.6 Differences in the Percentage of Ionic Concentration of 83 the Destructive Salts in Masonry Samples of the Old Town Hall after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone H) Figure 5.7 Differences in the Percentage of Ionic Concentration of 85 the Destructive Salts in Masonry Samples of the Old Town Hall after Salt Desalination Treatment (Zone M) Figure 5.8 Areas Most Affected by Salt Attack Problems at the 94 Old Penang High Court Figure 5.9 Location Plan of Old Penang High Court 95 Figure 5.10 Differences in Percentage of Ionic Concentration of 97 Destructive Salts in Masonry Samples of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P1 Figure 5.11 Differences in Percentage of Ionic Concentration of Destructive 99 Salts in Masonry Samples of the Old Penang High Court before and after Salt Desalination Treatment at Zone P2 Figure 5.12 Areas Most Affected by Salt Attack Problems at 104 Makam Noordin Figure 5.13 Location Plan of Makam Noordin 105 Figure