Fifth International Conference on SALT WEATHERING OF BUILDINGS AND STONE SCULPTURES:

These proceedings report on the 5th edition of the conference, after Copenhagen (2008), Cyprus (2011), Brussel (2014) and Potsdam (2017), and it is the first time the conference is held in hybrid form, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a challenge to organize an event in such an uncertain situation and to make it as attractive and interactive as the previous editions. We hope to meet your expectations! I’m very glad, that despite the situation, the interest for the conference is strong: we have received more than 40 contributions from 18 countries from all over the world. This confirms the relevance of the problem of salt weathering for the built cultural heritage and stone artifacts in a wide range of environments. Moreover, the broad spectrum of approaches to the subject presented in these proceedings highlights the importance of the interaction between different disciplines as well as between fundamental research and practice of conservation. I wish this conference to contribute to this fruitful exchange, and to generate new research ideas, whilst strengthening and broadening interdisciplinary collaborations. On behalf of the organizing committee, I’m looking forward to welcoming as many as possible of you in Delft. We hope that, next to participation to the conference, you will find some free time to visit the city. You can stroll along the canals, enter a windmill, visit the Prinsenhof museum and the Blue Delft Factory, admire the architecture and sculptures in the Old and New Church and, if you are looking for a real Dutch experience, you can rent a bicycle and visit the surroundings! This event would not have been possible without the collaboration of several persons. I would like to thank, on behalf of us all, the Scientific Committee for carefully reviewing the papers and contributing thereby to the high quality of the published contributions. My personal thank goes to the organizing committee who significantly contributed to the organization of this event and to the preparation of the proceedings. Last but not least, I’d like to thank the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands for co-sponsoring the event and RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures) for contributing to the dissemination

Dealing with Heritage: Assessment and Conservation

It is an honor to introduce this book, which brings together a number of very important aspects of the restoration architect's profession, with this short statement. Dealing with heritage requires that the restoration architect makes well-considered and definable choices. It should not only be about conservation, but attention must and may also be paid to making heritage future-proof. When it comes to making heritage future-proof, we still stand at the start of a major (sustainability) transition, in which making interventions will be indispensable. Such interventions are made possible by recognizing and utilizing the opportunities that heritage offers, but they should always be made from a view that places the preservation of the core values of the heritage centrally. The core values of heritage take many forms and can range from physical architectural manifestations to social, cultural and historical significance. In all cases, they involve dealing with the materials that the heritage is composed of. Having knowledge of these materials plays a crucial role in the choices to be made, both in the area of conservation to preserve what already exists, as well as in choices for restoration, improvement or renewal. That this knowledge goes beyond the physical outward appearance, as perceived by the admirers of heritage, is also emphasized by the examples in this book. Knowledge of the substance, forms of decay, methods of conservation and application of new techniques requires research, and without this research we as restoration architects would never be able to make well-considered choices. Research into especially the 'invisible' damage phenomena in materials, as described in this book, still requires more attention. As certified restoration architects it is our task to recognize this, to call in specialists at an early stage of a project, and to consider options with as broad a team as possible. The methods with which to determine the degree of damage and decay as objectively as possible, as are being developed continuously by among others 'Heritage & Architecture' at Delft University of Technology, offer good tools. I am a restoration advisor and currently chairman of the ‘Vereniging van Architecten Werkzaam in de Restauratie’ (Association of Architects Working in Restoration, VAWR), an association whose members are specialists who have all chosen to be tested and recognized in the field of dealing with monuments. On behalf of our members I would like to draw attention to the specific mastery of our profession based on Knowledge, Ethics, Vision and Management. Much attention is drawn to precisely these four pillars in this book as well. I hope that the readers of this book, regardless of their background, will gain a great deal of knowledge and appreciation for the need for research, but above all that they will also become more interested in our beautiful and multifaceted profession

Characterization and damage of brick masonry

Series : Building pathology and rehabilitation, ISSN 2194-9832, vol. 2Clay brick is among the oldest used masonry materials. Given the technological evolutions since the industrial revolutions, old brick are much dif-ferent from todays’ bricks. This chapter provides a review on the chemical, physi-cal and mechanical properties of mortar, brick and masonry. In addition, a discus-sion on the possible causes of damage and the usage of expert systems in building diagnostics is also given

QIAP - Questionario di interessi accademico-professionali (scheda descrittiva)

Test psicologico. Scheda descrittiva creata all'interno del progetto Bibliomedi

Towards a sustainable approach to reconstruction of residential heritage: Insights from international case studies

Reconstruction and recovery of historic cities after destruction due to conflict or natural disasters have gained increasing relevance in the last decades. The investigation of international examples of recovery after war or natural catastrophic events can provide knowledge for improving guidance and strategies for sustainable reconstruction/ intervention in similar cases in the future. This paper aims to identify and analyze the legal, administrative, social, and economic factors that can favor the reconstruction and recovery processes of the historic city and its residential neighborhoods. An extensive review of international examples and literature on guidance has been conducted to provide insight into best practices and potential solutions. As a result, a set of lessons learned that can be used to address post-conflict and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction in similar situations is given

Experimental research on salt contamination procedures and methods for assessment of the salt distribution

The RILEM TC ASC-271 is developing a new laboratory test to assess the durability of porous building materials to salt crystallisation. The test encompasses two phases: salt accumulation and damage propagation. This paper focuses on designing a procedure for the accumulation phase; this is considered successful when salts crystallise at the material's evaporative surface (common situation observed on site) without the occurrence of damage. Two procedures were developed and tested on two limestones with different porosity: (1) capillary absorption of a salt solution followed by drying, and (2) continuous capillary absorption. Sodium chloride or sodium sulphate solutions were used. Several methods for assessing the salt distribution were employed: ultrasonic pulse velocity, drilling/scratching resistance, hygroscopic moisture content, ion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, and micro X-ray fluorescence. The results enabled the selection of the most effective protocol for the salt accumulation phase.ISSN:0950-061

Characterization of highly toxic type 2 ribosome-inactivating proteins from Adenia lanceolata and Adenia stenodactyla (Passifloraceae)

From the caudices of the Passifloraceae Adenia lanceolata and A. stenodactyla, two lectins called lanceolin and stenodactylin, respectively, were purified by affinity chromatography on CL Sepharose 6B. The lectins are glycoproteins with M-r 61,243 (lanceolin) and 63,131 (stenodactylin), consisting of an enzymatic A chain linked to a larger B chain with lectin properties, with N-terminal amino acid sequences similar to that of volkensin, the toxic lectin from A. volkensii. The lectins agglutinate red blood cells, inhibit protein synthesis both by a cell-free system and by whole cells, and depurinate ribosomes and DNA, but not tRNA or poly(A). They are highly toxic to cells, in which they induce apoptosis, and to mice, with LD(50)s 8.16 mu g/kg (lanceolin) and 2.76 mu g/kg (stenodactylin) at 48 h. Thus, lanceolin and stenodactylin have all the properties of the toxic type 2 ribosome-inactivating proteins and Lire amongst the most potent toxins of plant origin

A new accelerated salt weathering test by RILEM TC 271-ASC: preliminary round robin validation

Salt crystallization is a major cause of damage in porous building materials. Accelerated salt weathering tests carried out in the laboratory are among the most common methods to assess the durability of material to salt decay. However, existing standards and recommendations for salt weathering tests have limitations in terms of effectiveness and/or reliability. In the framework of the RILEM Technical Committee 271-ASC, a procedure has been developed which proposes a new approach to salt crystallization tests. It starts from the consideration that salt damage can be seen as a process developing in two phases: accumulation of the salt in the material and propagation of the decay. In the first phase, salts are introduced in the material and accumulate close to the evaporation surface, while in the second phase damage propagates because of repeated dissolution and crystallization cycles, induced by re-wetting with liquid water and by relative humidity changes. In this paper, the procedure is described and the results of a first round robin validation of the test, carried out on 7 materials and involving 10 laboratories, are presented. The results show that the procedure is effective to cause decay within the time period of the test (about 3 months) and that the decay increases with subsequent cycles. The decay observed differs in type and severity depending on the salt type and concentration and on the type of substrate. The decay types detected in the laboratories are generally representative of those observed in the field for the selected substrates. The differences in durability between the various substrates, as assessed at the end of the test, are in line with the durability expected based on field observation. The reproducibility of the results in terms of decay type is good; some differences have been observed in terms of material loss. These are more significant in the case of NaCl contaminated specimens. Based on the results, proposals for fine-tuning of the procedure are given