Advanced Textile Materials for Heritage Buildings

Although present in traditional architecture for millennia, textiles have been neglected by architects as reliable construction mate-rials due to their short(er) lifespan and lower strength. The 20th century brought us synthetic materials which, for several decades, produced a boom in the multiplication of the uses of textiles which, being man-made, could be imprinted with the desired characteristics right from the time of manufacture. In the last decades, Nano, IoT and Smart technologies have allowed the application of specific characteristics corresponding to precise uses on both synthetic and natural materials. This, together with the diversification of the sources of raw materials, allowed the expansion of the uses of textile materials, which are present today from the structure of the constructions to the finishes and interior fittings. The main qualities specific to textile materials – a low weight per volume unit, flexibility, easy and reversible installation – represent an asset in their use in the restoration or protection of heritage buildings and sites. The current principles of restoration, which require a discreet and reversible intervention on the building itself, lead to the search for new materials solutions that are resistant but not structurally or visually invasive. Just as minimally invasive solutions are sought in the medical field, the same is happening in the field of restoration - healing of buildings. The fragility of monuments, which we often face, can be reinforced and/or protected with the help of textile systems of high resistance but with a minimal presence. The problem we have faced for decades, that of the restoration of modern materials (such as reinforced concrete), can be solved with the help of textiles and the technologies included in them. In the present article we will present some examples of textile materials that are already or could be included among those used for heritage buildings.