Spennemann, D H R (2025) Removal or preservation in place? A review of the conservation management options for asbestos cement sheeting in heritage properties. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 43(6), pp. 1406-1422. ISSN 2398-4708
Abstract
Invented in late 1890s, asbestos cement sheeting rose to prominence during the post-Second World War period as a building material for low-cost housing by state housing commissions and low-income families ("fibro homes"). The adverse health effects of asbestos fibres in the building industry and home renovation activities are well documented. Fibro homes of the 1950s and 1960s are increasingly coming under the gaze of heritage studies, which brings to the fore the question of how to deal with the asbestos cement sheeting most are clad with. This paper provides the first systematic review to assess the literature (126 papers were identified in Google Scholar and scanned for content) on the conservation management of asbestos cement sheeting in heritage properties. Overall, engagement with the conservation management of asbestos cement sheeting in heritage properties was low, with only two sources dealing with asbestos cement sheeting in any level of detail. The studies note that if asbestos cement sheeting is in good condition, it should be left alone. Numerous conservation and repair options do exist, in particular the application of (coloured) sealants that extend the life of asbestos cement sheets and asbestos cement roofing. This paper represents the first systematic review to assess conservation management options for asbestos cement sheeting in heritage properties.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | asbestos cement; asbestosis; environmental abatement; fibro-sheet; heritage conservation; post-war architecture; social heritage |
| Index terms: | income, heritage property, option, building material, renovation, conservation, repair, roofing, systematic literature review, level of detail, building industry, war, low-cost housing, housing |
| Subjects: | conflict and crisis studies, maintenance engineering, technical documentation, building materials, decision analysis, environmental policy, industry analysis, renovation and retrofit, construction type, economic analysis, research evaluation and metrics, housing and residential development, design practice |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Urban Studies, Risk Management, Construction Technology, Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Legal Issues |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here