In situ assessment of superficial moisture condition in façades of historic building using non-destructive techniques

Ruiz-Valero, Letzai; Sasso, Virginia Flores; Vicioso, Esteban Prieto

doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2019.e00228

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Karsten tube tests were used to compare the water absorption characteristics of areas covered with mosses, weathered stone without moss, and bare/ unweathered stone (BS EN 16302 2013) This is a wellestablished experiment within the field of cultural heritage used as a proxy measurement for water absorption (Blaeuer, Vergès-Belmin, and Franzen 2012;Hendrickx 2013;Vandevoorde et al 2013;Scatigno et al 2016aScatigno et al , 2016bRuiz, Flores, and Prieto 2019). The measurements took place on-site at Kelmscott Manor using the cementitious mortar capped wall shown in Figure 1, at Chipping Norton using the top of the drystone walling constructed from local ooidal limestone, and in the laboratory environment using the limestone test blocks.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moisture Interactions Between Mosses and Their Underlying Stone Substrates

Jang

Viles

2021

Studies in Conservation

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Mosses are a common type of organism found colonising stone in both the natural and built environment. People responsible for managing and conserving historic buildings often worry that mosses can cause biodeterioration, but there is very little research to date on what controls moss growth and the nature and magnitude of their impact. To help fill this knowledge gap, research has been carried out on limestone walls at Kelmscott Manor, the churchyard at Chipping Norton, and in the laboratory on limestone test blocks, to examine the impact of microclimate variations on both the initial colonisation and spread of mosses, and the impact of moss colonisation on temperature, relative humidity, and moisture conditions. The research used a combination of non-destructive and invasive tests to determine the impact of mosses on moisture relations through direct impacts on surface moisture, water absorption capacity, and open porosity. From the results presented, we can infer that mosses have an impact on water uptake and retention on mortar and limestone at both the surface and subsurface level, and that they may play a role in 'shielding' the underlying substrate from light rainfall events. The experimental data also suggests that in certain cases, removing mosses may have more of an impact on moisture regimes than leaving them in situ.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moisture Interactions Between Mosses and Their Underlying Stone Substrates

Jang

Viles

2021

Studies in Conservation

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“…It can be also be used as an indication of moisture [14], although this is primarily limited to near-surface conditions. IRT is often not precise [14,15] but gives a good overview of the masonry moisture pattern. ERT is affected by the presence of salt due to its impact on conductivity [7] and requires different calibration for stone and mortars [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moisture monitoring of stone masonry: A comparison of microwave and radar on a granite wall and a sandstone tower

Orr

Fusade

Young

et al. 2020

Journal of Cultural Heritage

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Water is a fundamental control on the deterioration of historic stone masonry, of which wind-driven rain (WDR) is an important source in the UK. Non-destructive testing methods for moisture measurement can characterise the response of masonry to short (but intense) periods of wind-driven rain. An important part of this response is how masonry functions as a system of stone units and mortar joints, in which mortar can act as a conduit for moisture. While non-destructive techniques are common in moisture surveying of built heritage, there are no agreed best practice methods for collection, handling, and visual representation of data. This study explores the comparative advantages of microwave and radar measurements in two field experiments of exposure to short (but intense) simulated wind-driven rain exposure to demonstrate when and how they are most effectively employed. A novel method of representing data as percentiles is explored to facilitate effective communication of moisture measurements. In the case of the granite wall (e.g. with components of strongly contrasting hygric properties), microwave and radar provided similar information. The average travel time of the radar signal (from the back wall reflection) demonstrated that radar can non-destructively identify water penetration through mortar joints. In the sandstone tower, the microwave measurements were able to clearly identify four different moisture regimes as a result of different intensities of WDR exposure. The radar measurements were suited to identifying distinctions between localised moisture contents within masonry units and mortar joints, which characterised how the masonry was functioning as a holistic system. The measurements on both the granite wall and the sandstone tower demonstrated that the radar is influenced by environmental conditions which influence surface condensation and equilibrium moisture contents. Representing the measurements as percentiles improved visual representation of measurements with colour scales and minimised potential skewing of normalisation and scales from extreme values/outliers. This paper demonstrates that both microwave and radar techniques can be useful for monitoring moisture in stone masonry systems. Material characteristics of the masonry system and the objective(s) of the investigation should be considered during selection of the appropriate technique(s).

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“…Infrared Thermography is an NDT widely employed for quantitative and qualitative evaluations for building diagnostics [55]. In heritage architecture, it constitutes a highly valuable tool since it allows for the analysis of the state of conservation of construction materials without using invasive sampling methods.…”

Section: Infrared Thermography (Irt)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-destructive testing and Finite Element Method integrated procedure for heritage diagnosis: The Seville Cathedral case study

Diz-Mellado

Mascort-Albea

Romero-Hernández

et al. 2021

Journal of Building Engineering

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One of the major problems faced by historic cities today involves the conservation of heritage buildings. Damage suffered by these buildings can be irreversible and fast-acting, leading to their disappearance over a short period. The study and analysis of the origin of the damage suffered by these buildings have proved themselves to be key to their conservation. Non-destructive testing (NDT) can detect problems indiscernible to the naked eye, thereby preventing potential losses. In this paper, a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of building structures integrated with the Finite Element Method (FEM) was applied to the Tabernacle Chapel; a building included in the northwest wing of the Cathedral of Seville complex. Despite the many interventions carried out to date, the issue of the chapel's deterioration has yet to be entirely solved. This research describes the results of a detailed constructive and structural diagnosis methodology for heritage buildings. The data provided from NDT methods, such as Digital Image Processing (DIP), Infrared Thermography (IRT), Laser Levelling (LL), Ambient Vibration Testing (AVT), and Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), has been verified and integrated as boundary conditions in a 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) in order to establish the critical points of the structure, including the failure mechanisms. The results led to the conclusion that the main causes of deterioration involved the settling of the grandstand built in the northwest sector of the building and the effects of the thrusts of the dome on the lateral façades. An integrated implementation methodology of NDT and FEM has enabled accurate knowledge to be ascertained of the principal damage affecting this heritage building.

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In situ assessment of superficial moisture condition in façades of historic building using non-destructive techniques

Cited by 32 publications

References 17 publications

Moisture Interactions Between Mosses and Their Underlying Stone Substrates

Moisture Interactions Between Mosses and Their Underlying Stone Substrates

Moisture monitoring of stone masonry: A comparison of microwave and radar on a granite wall and a sandstone tower

Non-destructive testing and Finite Element Method integrated procedure for heritage diagnosis: The Seville Cathedral case study

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