Assessing Historic Timber Structures
Ron Anthony
The goal of the presentation and discussion is to help individuals understand how we can save historic structures through better assessment. Better assessment leads to more informed repair and replacement decisions. We will discuss various assessment technologies, including the pros and cons of using them. Projects that have incorporated the assessment methods will be used to illustrate historic preservation of timber structures at work.
About the Speaker: Ron Anthony
Ron Anthony received an M.S. in Wood Science and Technology from Colorado State University. In 2000, he formed Anthony & Associates, Inc. to focus on evaluating the performance of wood in historic structures and conducting forensic investigations.
His research activities have focused on nondestructive evaluation and materials testing to better understand how wood interacts with other materials and performs over time. His efforts have led to applications of resistance drilling and digital radioscopy for quantifying decay in structural timbers and investigating hidden conditions.
His consulting activities have focused on the application of these innovative inspection technologies for assessment of wood in historic structures, such as Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, New Jersey; James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia; Benjamin Latrobe’s Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore; George Nakashima’s Arts Building in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Mission San Miguel Arcangel in California (named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places List, 2006), and the Hanging Flume in Colorado (named to the World Monuments Fund 2006 Watch List).
Ron also conducts forensic investigations on wood-related failures, such as the collapse of Pavilion I at the University of Virginia.
Mr. Anthony is the 2002 recipient of the James Marston Fitch Foundation Grant for his approach to evaluating wood in historic buildings; he is a Fellow at the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI), and a recipient of APTI’s Harley J. McKee Award.
His activities extend to organizing and participating in workshops and lecturing on wood properties and the use of wood in construction applications. He has lectured at MIT, Columbia University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oregon State University, the University of Colorado, and others on investigating wood in historic buildings and given presentations at the Association for Preservation Technology International, Colorado Preservation, Inc., American Society of Civil Engineers conferences, and ICOMOS, SHATiS, and RILEM symposia. He has authored over 120 publications; participated in conferences and seminars; and consulted throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the South Pacific. He is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology International, the Society of Wood Science and Technology, the Forest Products Society, the Timber Framers Guild and the TFEC, the American Wood Protection Association, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the Forensic Engineering Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Innovative solid-sawn timber, expert service
Quality, customer satisfaction, longevity.
