Cost-benefit approach for seismic retrofit of cultural heritage: basis for Old Cairo Religions Complex conservation

Purpose This paper focuses on the relevance of cost-benefit considerations in case of seismic retrofitting of cultural heritage. Particular attention is paid to historic monuments in Egypt, and on the Religions Complex in Old Cairo. This multidisciplinary study explores methods that have been used in the past, to draw up a preliminary concept of proactive conservation that seeks to combine structural, economic and cultural dimensions of the conservation of assets. Design/methodology/approach The literature analysis aims at understanding economic evaluation procedures and detailed circumstances for the seismic retrofit of historic buildings. The selected case studies look at religious monumental buildings which are notoriously complex and challenging to deal with because of their high architectural and cultural values, structural vulnerability, need for conservation strategies. Findings The examined case studies reveal a need for different intervention strategies for structures like churches, mosques and minarets. They also show how material properties, existing damage and architectural forms may dictate a required methodology. From an economic point of view, the study highlights the importance of combining approaches such as the travel cost method and the contingent valuation (CV), to include both use and non-use values of cultural heritage. Originality/value This investigation merges structural engineering with economics to deal with the intricate problems of conservation of cultural heritage. Such an approach is commonly required for monumental buildings management in areas with heritage sites that are particularly vulnerable to seismic activities. The presented methodology, most importantly, can be extended to other sites.