Material Testing Labs for Historic Buildings, Technical Preservation Database

Preservation Assistance Division

Under a cooperative agreement directed by the Preservation Assistance Division of the National Park Service, Washington, D.C., the Center for Architectural Conservation at the Georgia Institute of Technology prepared a list of laboratories that test and analyze historic building materials. The objective of the project was to facilitate the sharing of resource information by practitioners in the fields of historic preservation and materials testing. A "laboratory" as defined in this report is a private business, a non-profit organization or public agency that provides analytical testing services. Laboratories surveyed were suggested by preservation officials and architects in the National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Offices, and members of the Committee on Historic Resources of the American Institute of Architects. Members of these 3 groups were asked to identify laboratories that they had found to be particularly helpful in analyzing or testing historic building materials. Additional laboratories known to the Center for Architectural Conservation were also included. Rather than attempt to compile an exhaustive list of laboratories, initial efforts were devoted to creating a list that could be easily updated and expanded. Nearly 400 laboratories were initially surveyed; the first 100 entries are included in this print-out. A micro-computer program has been developed using D-base III to store the information and allow for ease of updating and expansion. The program is designed to allow for quick searching of materials and services in order to identify laboratories that have specific capabilities. The following print-out of information is being made available at this time as the most efficient means to share information with preservation practitioners and government agencies. In the following print form, laboratories are arranged alphabetically and have been assigned sequentially an index number which appears in the upper right corner of each laboratory listing. An Index of Services and an Index of Materials is included at the end to assist the user of this information. In surveying laboratories to determine appropriateness of listing, each laboratory was asked to provide names of historic buildings for which they have tested materials and provided services. Many of the buildings are widely known, allowing users of this list to obtain further information about the project performance and experience of various laboratories. Individual copies of this initial print-out have been distributed by the Preservation Assistance Division of the National Park Service to State Historic Preservation Offices and to Federal representatives with historic preservation review responsibilities. Listing does not constitute an endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Park Service or the Georgia Institute of Technology of the laboratories or services contained herein. Comments on the usefulness of this information are welcomed and should be addressed either to Charles Fisher, Preservation Assistance Division-424, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127, or to John Myers, Center for Architectural Conservation, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332.

Material Testing Labs for Historic Buildings, Technical Preservation Database

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