Influence of Air Pollution and Humidity on Limestone Materials Degradation in Historical Buildings Located in Cities Under Tropical Coastal Climates

Abstract

Climatic changes and the increased air pollution intensify the atmospheric degradation of stone, affecting the aspect and integrity of valuable historical buildings constructed using limestone and located in tropical coastal sites. This paper analyzes limestone degradation process due to air pollution and humidity in tropical humid conditions in historical buildings located in the cities of Havana, Cuba and San Francisco de Campeche, Mexico. Havana shows higher pollution level than San Francisco de Campeche, which presents pollution levels as a consequence of a multipollutant situation along with the presence of airborne salinity. Temperature and humidity data were recorded from the walls of historical buildings in the city of Havana: the Minor Basilica and the convent of San Francisco. Changes in dry/wet cycles due to the absence of direct sun radiation as well as a high level of SO 2 allow the formation of a black crust (mainly composed of gypsum) in the lower part of the surface of the facade of the Basilica Minor in Havana; however, crusts formed in historical buildings located in San Francisco de Campeche City are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, indicating the importance of natural degradation mechanisms mainly due to dissolution in water. In the last case, the influence of water plays an important role in the development of biodegradation, which induces the formation of calcium oxalates. Caves and cracks were found in the walls of military buildings caused by water infiltration. The influence of air contamination, humidity, and construction materials determine the type of degradation that historical buildings undergo.

Performance and resistance of paint used as exterior finish in salt laden environment

“…The layers of coatings applied may be singular or multiple depending on the pigment. Though over painting remains a problem in buildings because of the formation of multiple layers of salt on the wall that can lead to the growth of fungal between layers (Corvo et al, 2010). Several layers of coatings can be applied on metal surface to increase corrosion resistance.…”

Modelado De Partículas Pm10 Y PM2.5 Mediante Redes Neuronales Artificiales Sobre Clima Tropical De San Francisco De Campeche, México

“…Tales son los casos de zonas metropolitanas como el Valle de México, Guadalajara y Monterrey. [11][12][13][14] Sin embargo, en la mayoría de las zonas provinciales de la República Mexicana, existe poca información al respecto, tal es el caso de la Ciudad de San Francisco de Campeche, capital del Estado de Campeche, la cual presenta un clima tropical húmedo 15 convirtiéndola en una locación idónea para la realización de estudios de evaluación temprana de calidad del aire. Así mismo, la ciudad es considera Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad por la UNESCO desde 1999, por lo que se pretende realizar un estudio sobre contaminantes atmosféricos y su relación con variables meteorológicas en la ciudad y evaluar los efectos de los aerosoles atmosféricos sobre la población y materiales de interés histórico-artístico.…”

Multispectral Radiometric Analysis of Façades to Detect Pathologies from Active and Passive Remote Sensing

“…Specifically, the presence of water plays an important role in stone deterioration processes [1]. It accelerates the weathering processes contributing to dissolution and frost/thaw cycles among others [2] allowing the formation of black crust on the rock surface resulting in mechanical and chemical degradations of stones. For that reason the use of non-contact and non-destructive technologies to study stone damages is important for the preservation of buildings and for the choice of the best technique for restoration [3,4].…”