Quando conservare non è possibile: l'istituzione del 'debito di conoscenza'

Knowledge is a fundamental part of the design process in the restoration field. Since 2018, the functional role of knowledge has also been recognized in the structural field. In fact, it has a real impact on the choice of the type of intervention, but it still depends too much on the goodwill of the professional. For structures that are not well known and whose residual resistance is not easy to quantify. In the presence of structural problems, there are two ways: a direct diagnostic campaign or the retrieval of data from diagnostic campaigns carried out on contemporary structures and with similar characteristics. If the first option is chosen by few in the context of non-protected buildings, the second is difficult to follow both due to the uniqueness that we attribute to each structure and the absolute lack of comparison data. Every time the demolition of an existing structure is decreed, it is necessary to reflect on the role it can still have in the context of conservation, not so much for the material object that it is but for the information content it has. The contribution proposes the introduction, within the demolition process, of a ‘debt of knowledge’ towards the community and future generations. The debt, at the expense of those who intend or must demolish it, involves studying the materials and construction elements and above all carrying out destructive tests whose results will be able to form and enrich databases available to officials, designers, and researchers. In fact, to be able to use this information effectively it is necessary for it to be numerous, structured, comparable, and accessible. Two concrete examples allow us to conclude that the introduction of the “debt of knowledge” is possible, even if the methods are, for now, only stated.