Urban Scale Monitoring Approach for the Assessment of Rising Damp Effects in Venice

In coastal areas, the rising damp of salty water is a well-known degradation factor of historical masonries, leading to visible features such as crusts, masonry erosion, and plaster loss. Venetian masonries are strongly affected by decay caused by rising damp exacerbated by direct contact with salty water. Recurrent flooding due to high tides and an increase in the frequency of flooding events, also related to climate change, raises concern about the impacts. Although several studies have been carried out on probable future scenarios, a valuation of the decay risk due to rising damp at the urban level still needs to be implemented. This paper proposes a non-invasive and economically sustainable approach for evaluating rising damp effects at an urban scale. The approach includes a collection of archive images of masonries affected by rising damp dating back to the 1990s; a visual survey of the actual conservation state of masonries; a classification based on significant descriptors; and a discussion on exposure conditions and conservation states. The descriptors chosen are rising damp levels, biological growth, plaster loss, efflorescence, and brick erosion. The evaluation was implemented in a georeferenced system suitable for future comparisons, thus providing a management tool for the city's preservation

Tiles from Aosta: A Peculiar Glaze Roof Covering

The 18th century roof tiles from the “Casa delle vigne”, located in the Aosta region (north-east Italy), were investigated as an example of a peculiar historical roof covering: ceramic tiles with a lead-based glaze finishing to waterproof them are used to create colourful patterns. A conservation project proposed the integration of the original tiles with new ones, produced according to traditional methods. Ancient and new tiles were analysed with Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy, micro-Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Thermogravimetry and Differential Scanning Calorimetry for understanding the composition and the production technology of this manufacture. Their resistance to freezing and thawing cycles was then tested, considering their exposure in the severe alpine climate of Aosta. The use of pure clays with low calcium contents, high firing temperature and lead-rich glazes was found in ancient tiles, able to outstand several freezing-thawing cycles without damages. Iron and copper pigments were used in old yellow and green glazes. Zinc-based pigment, low lead and calcium-rich glazes are used in the new ones, which remained mainly coherent to the ceramic body during the freeze-thaw test

Evaluation of a gelatin-based adhesive for historic paintings that incorporates citronella oil as an eco-friendly biocide

[EN] The presented study focuses on evaluating the efficiency of a gelatin-based product that incorporates a plasticizer (glycerol) and a biocide (citronella oil), proposed as an eco-friendly adhesive for polychrome decoration applied in different parts of the architectural complex of the Longshan Temple in Lukang (eighteenth century, Taiwan). Seven laboratory physico-chemical tests were performed: (a) viscosity measurement; (b) drying curves; (c) moisture content determination; (d) water vapor permeability test; (e) mechanical test; (f) adhesion test; (g) susceptibility to fungi colonization test, which provide information on the workability, water content and water barrier properties, as well as mechanical, adhesion, and the biocide properties of the proposed product. The obtained results indicate that the workability, mechanical and adhesive properties of the new adhesive are adequate. Permeability in polychromies is slightly reduced due to the additional barrier effect of the adhesive incorporated into the paint film. The efficiency of citronella oil for preventing the growth of fungus Aspergillus niger on paintings consolidated with the adhesive was also probed. In parallel to these laboratory trials, the micro-invasive tests carried out, using nanoindentation combined with atomic force microscopy (NI-AFM), provided direct evidence for the improvement in the mechanical properties induced by applying the new adhesive to the original polychromies.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO), the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (ERDF), and the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI).Lee, Y.; Martín Rey, S.; Osete Cortina, L.; Martín-Sánchez, I.; Domenech Carbo, MT.; Bolivar-Galiano, F. (2018). Evaluation of a gelatin-based adhesive for historic paintings that incorporates citronella oil as an eco-friendly biocide. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. 32(21):2320-2349. https://doi.org/10.1080/01694243.2018.1477411S23202349322

La conservazione preventiva del patrimonio librario come possibile alternativa al restauro tradizionale

The present paper focuses on the close relation between library collections and their preservation environment, aiming, in particular, at highlighting the importance of promoting and sustaining the monitoring. The paper proposes some simple and ready-to-use technologies – smart monitoring – to prevent future damages

A comparison of single- and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for lead isotope ratio determination as a tool for discriminating Roman mosaic glass tesserae of different provenance

Since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, lead has been used as components in the manufacturing of glass for improving its physical and optical properties. For Roman red glass (included mosaic glass tesserae), the addition of leas id also related with the final color, facilitating the formation of red cuprous oxide crystals into the glass melt. Owning to the addition of lead and the resulting high concentration in which it is present (as high as 30 wt%% PbO), lead isotope ratio determination can be deployed fro discriminating and provenancing purpose. Howeve, analysis of ancient glasses still presents some challenges (in terms of, e.g., complete digestion, influence of the concomitant matrix on the analysis results, limited sample availability). In this work, a set of red Roman mosaic glass tesserae is used to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of lead isotope ratio determination and to compare the precision and accuracy as provided by single collector and multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers with sample introduction by pneumatic nebulization or laser ablation. Also the influence od analyte isolation on the figures of merit will be discussed

A comparison of single- and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for lead isotope ratio determination as a tool for discriminating Roman mosaic glass tesserae of different provenance

Since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, lead has been used as components in the manufacturing of glass for improving its physical and optical properties. For Roman red glass (included mosaic glass tesserae), the addition of leas id also related with the final color, facilitating the formation of red cuprous oxide crystals into the glass melt. Owning to the addition of lead and the resulting high concentration in which it is present (as high as 30 wt%% PbO), lead isotope ratio determination can be deployed fro discriminating and provenancing purpose. Howeve, analysis of ancient glasses still presents some challenges (in terms of, e.g., complete digestion, influence of the concomitant matrix on the analysis results, limited sample availability). In this work, a set of red Roman mosaic glass tesserae is used to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of lead isotope ratio determination and to compare the precision and accuracy as provided by single collector and multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers with sample introduction by pneumatic nebulization or laser ablation. Also the influence od analyte isolation on the figures of merit will be discussed

TG–DSC analysis applied to contemporary oil paints

Thermogravimetry coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC) has been commonly used in the field of conservation of Cultural Heritage for the study of art objects, especially for the characterisation of inorganic matrixes. In recent years, thermal analyses have been applied to the study of organic painting materials. The advantages of performing TG–DSC are linked to the fact that it is micro-destructive technique which does not require any treatment prior the analysis and provide useful information in relatively short time. The aim of this study is to describe the application of TG–DSC on the study of oil binders used in contemporary paints. Even if synthetic binders have become increasingly popular in the 20th century, many contemporary artists still prefer the more traditional media: drying oils. Although the wish of recalling traditional methods, much practical knowledge in paint preparation by mixing drying oil and pigments and in the behaviour of the mixture has been lost. This is mainly due to the different composition of contemporary materials in comparison with the traditional ones and may sometimes lead to different drying properties of the oil paint formulations and consequent problems in the art creation and conservation. For answer to this artistic need and in particular to the difficulties outlined by artists themselves in producing and employing oil paints, unpigmented and pigmented oil films were studied after a week, 1 and 2 years of natural drying under laboratory conditions. Thermal analyses were performed in air flow: the focus of this research was, in fact, to study the thermal and oxidative behaviours of young films for better understanding the very first processes leading to the formation of the film