Writing

Notes on assessing what is already standing

Method, codes, and the arithmetic behind them. Written for engineers who assess existing and heritage structures — and who have to defend the numbers afterwards.

2026-08-19

Two reductions, not one

A damage factor measures the wall. A confidence factor measures your file on it. They enter the calculation at different points, and lumping them together is both unconservative and unauditable.

VernaStruct is assessment software for vernacular and heritage structures.

Every calculation in it is pinned against an independent hand calculation or a published worked example, and that record is published rather than asserted.

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A calculation and verification aid, not a design authority. Final responsibility for any assessment rests with the licensed engineer of record. © 2026 Hesham Salama · vernastruct.com