Rehabilitation and Preservation of the St. Lourdes Church, Tiruchirappalli

Abstract

This paper reports the rehabilitation of the historic St. Lourdes Church in Tiruchirappalli, India. The structure is a critical landmark and a significant representation of religious buildings in the area. Inspections of the Gothic style masonry church were completed in 1998, where distress and decay due to water damages were identified and repaired using lime-based materials. A subsequent inspection 10 years later indicated that remains a critical issue. This case study demonstrates the importance of rehabilitation of historic structures using appropriate construction techniques including possible alternative rehabilitation approaches to ensure the preservation of these structures.