Inventories, Surveys and Historic Preservation

The civil engineering profession is becoming increasingly involved in technical challenges associated with historic preservation. Inventories, surveys, and recording projects are uncovering more engineering and industrial sites and structures which can be adapted and reconstructed for a variety of uses. National organizations (such as the National Architectural and Engineering Record and the National Trust for Historic Preservation) work with local, state and regional groups in such surveys as well as in adaptive and other commercial studies. The Society for Industrial Archeology and similar organizations provide common meeting grounds for all people interested in such preservation work. Technically, financially, and personally, there are many rewards in meeting the challenges of professional preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptation.