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Weathering

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF BUILDING STONES TO ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS: EVALUATION, PERFORMANCE, REPAIR STRATEGIES

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Abstract

The decay of materials is a function of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors are related to the material itself, and include the type of the material, its properties and its microstructure. The extrinsic factors refer to the effect that the environment has on the material and can be generally divided into factors related to the atmosphere and factors related to the usage of the material respectively. Salt decay is arguably the most significant deteriorating mechanism for monuments and buildings in marine environment. Salts migrate in the form of solution through the complex capillary system of porous stones towards the surface. Crystallization of soluble salts may appear in the form of efflorescences or subefflorescences. The assessment of the susceptibility of stone to salt decay can be accomplished either through the calculation of crystallization pressure or through the determination of the most probable scenario as determined by an energetic evaluation. Non-destructive techniques can also be used in situ to assess the susceptibility of the building materials and to assess the effectiveness of interventions.

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© 2006 Springer

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Moropoulou, A., Labropoulos, K., Konstanti, A., Roumpopoulos, K., Bakolas, A., Michailidis, P. (2006). Weathering. In: KOURKOULIS, S.K. (eds) Fracture and Failure of Natural Building Stones. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5077-0_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5077-0_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5076-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5077-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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