The effect of structural retrofitting and ventilation scenarios on the indoor microclimate of a historical library: The Necip Pasa Library, Turkiye

Abstract

Structural retrofitting in buildings may result in changes in the indoor microclimate. Chemical, mechanical and biological deterioration can be seen in the cultural properties as a consequence of substrates and inappropriate microclimatic conditions such as high indoor temperature, relative humidity and fluctuations of them. The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of the structural retrofitting, that the building underwent, on the chemical degradation risk of the library collection based on two different ventilation scenarios. One is natural ventilation which is an existing situation since the building is free-floating. The other one implementing a mechanical ventilation system into the building. To be able to compare the microclimate that affects the library collection pre- and post-retrofitting, two models are developed in DesginBuilder and simulated for both scenarios. According to the results of the post-retrofitting model, mechanical ventilation reduced the risk of chemical degradation by 38 %, while natural ventilation did not cause any effect. Natural ventilation gives a similar output in the pre-retrofitting model as in the post-retrofitting model. Mechanical ventilation in the pre-retrofitting model achieves a 33 % reduction in chemical degradation risk. Structural retrofitting only achieves a 1 % reduction in the chemical risk level for both ventilation scenarios. Thus, its effect on the indoor microclimate is insignificant. This study shows that creating simulation models effectively assesses potential risks pre-post-structural retrofitting or any retrofitting in historical buildings. Simulations reveal that mechanical ventilation is a better choice for decreasing chemical degradation risks for the library. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd