The Equotip rebound tester is a simple, non‐destructive technique to measure the surface hardness of materials. Having a low impact energy gives the Equotip advantages over the commonly used Schmidt Hammer on weathered rock and stone. In this study we have investigated the influence of different parameters (sample size, moisture content and surface roughness) on the surface hardness values obtained from freshly cut blocks of four types of sandstone. In a series of laboratory experiments both Single Impacts (SIM) and Repeat Impacts (RIM) methods have been used with C and D probes (which have different impact energies). Our results show that whilst sample size is of great importance we find that smaller samples can be reliably evaluated than previously reported. Moisture contents are also found to exert a more important influence on both SIM and RIM results than previously thought, with up to 26% lower hardness values recorded on saturated vs dry sandstone. Conversely, we find that surface roughness (over Sz values of 100 to 800 microns) does not have a significant impact on SIM measurements collected using the D probe. Both SIM and RIM data are found to be good proxies for compressive strength and open porosity, with SIM data collected with the C probe showing the best fits. Data collected using 3D microscopy helps visualize and quantify the small impact marks created by the Equotip and confirms that these are much reduced when using the C vs D probe. The results highlight the benefits of the Equotip to studies of the nature and deterioration of sandstone, the need for careful evaluation of any confounding factors which might influence the values obtained, and illustrate the different advantages of C and D probes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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In this paper, we develop a numerical analysis model to calculate the heat and moister behavior at Motomachi Sekibutsu and clarify the effect of suppressing salt damage by renovation of the shelter. Using this model, we divide the renovation as three component, thermal insulation, airtightness, solar transmission, and verify the effectiveness of them. Our results show that all the renovation contribute to decreasing the evaporation from the statue and suppressing the salt phase change. Thus, we consider that the renovation of the shelter suppresses salt damage

Link Model, a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) programme for micro-infrastructure construction funding aid, has received much attention in Bangladesh over the last few decades. This study aims to contribute to the latest phase of the Link Model project, launched in July 2016 by the Bangladeshi government. To this