Due to climate change a slowly increasing annual temperature may be experienced by structures. Relative humidity (RH) fluctuations affect the equiibrium moisture content of materials. Repeated RH cycling leads to mechanical failure and may endanger an object's structural integrity. Preventive conservation is based on adopting measures that will prevent fracture. Real-time interferometry allows the acquisition of sequential high-resolution full-field surface images from hygroscopic materials used in cultural heritage by recording during cycles of changing RH. The differential images allow the development of a preventive methodology directly through surface responses. Indications of the natural onset of degradation can be followed and traced before visible damage occurs, allowing preventive measures to be taken in advance. An ongoing study (Climate for Culture European project (FP7-ENV-2008-1 CfC no. 226973)) aims to experimentally classify structural deterioration as a function of acclimatization and confirm the hypothesis that surface responses before deformation can indicate deformation threshold values as reference points for the onset of RH-induced deterioration.

No abstract

Environmental impact on artworks has always been a big issues for preservation of Cultural Heritage. Nowadays with the climate change it is experienced a slow but steady process of temperature increase affecting relative humidity which fluctuates while materials attempt to keep moisture balance. During repetitive equilibrium courses fatigue accumulates endangering the structural integrity prior to fracture. Assessing the risk imposed by the fluctuation allow preventive actions to take place and avoid interventive restoration action after fracture. A methodology is presented employing full-field interferometry by surface probing illumination based on direct real-time recording of surface images from delicate hygroscopic surfaces as they deform to dimensionally respond to relative humidity (RH) changes. The developed methodology aims to develop an early stage risk indicator tool to allow preventive measures directly through surface readings. The presented study(1) aiming to experimentally highlight acclimatisation structural phenomena and to verify assumed standards in RH safety range based on the newly introduced concept of deformation threshold value is described and demonstrated with indicative results