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OLD AND NEW-- DO THEY EVER MEET ?
by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT
Cincinnati, OH
Do waves that hit the shore and ebb back out to sea, ever become the next waves that come ashore? Or are the old waves spent and lost, being absorbed or mixed in to the making of new waves [or advising the new one how to form better]
Dont old cars become part of the steel [what there is] in new cars [remember the loads of smashed cars in the interstates]. Or how about old glass being smashed out and returned to the caldron of new glass? Dont we re-cycle? And I think there are still things known as hand-me-downs?
Why do people read and even study history? Besides knowing about the past, are there lessons to be learned, pitfalls to avoid, and-- HEY! What the _____?-- things and methods to be re-used or to augment or make better what is down now. See granddaughters are still learning that 2+2=4.and what they find new we use [mentally, in variations]
So why not construction materials, methods, skills, techniques, systems, tools, equipment, etc? Sure we have different goods and nifty tools now, but bet’cha there is still wide use of old knowledge, skills, shortcuts, etc.bet’cha!!
Way back we had some stuff called linoleum which was the whizz-bang sheet floor covering at the time [carpet existed from ancient times]. Paint was oil-based, stinky, and difficult to clean up. Caulking was putty which dried out, fell out and leaked, before the really sticky stuff of today. Now these and a zillion others evolved out of new technologies. But even behind them are fundamental concept, needs, measures, etc. for better and new products-- for better work and higher profits.
In this all is the wealth of basic construction knowledge, from references to the range of material that is a pre-requisite to a good product representative and certain to newly whelped design professionals. It is in this where our ability to design and detail in positive, conclusive, and sound construction lies. This is information that still exists and in large measure is still valid, important and necessary. Everything is not contained in standard details or in computer programs-- not every problem is solved in some magical fashion. Sometimes we simply need a human head, with substantial information who can resolve problems in ways that meet several parameters-- even though or in spite of the fact that some data, information, standards, are old.
Defiantly, in this instance [and forever!] old is NOT bad and OLD is old needed or the basis for new.
If for no other reason, the old teaches what not to do, and hence avoids unnecessary effort now. But in the main the vast majority of the old teaches methods, skills and procedures directly sable now, and opens the way to understanding new needs and solutions, or revised methods-- all of which enhances the users of that data, properly, and timely. Other old data is simply worked available and most useful as reference information.
SURE they meet-- when youre so old you become senile and childish [as in young or new]!!!
And, too, seems good to throw out bath water, but baby and basin might be worth keeping!!!