Auscultation Techniques of Constituent Materials of Monuments and Ancient Constructions: Immediate Techniques and Instrumental Techniques

Abstract

Heritage monuments and ancient constructions are complex and delicate. Its conservation is vital for its subsistence and durability; its conservation is a challenge from a technical point of view. An early and adequate diagnosis of any pathological lesion in a monument is key to its maintenance and preservation. For this, auscultation techniques are necessary that allow a quick and effective diagnosis, but above all that is not harmful to its constituent materials. With this premise, from the author’s experience, this article exposes the most accessible and recommended immediate and instrumental techniques to be used directly on a monument. With them, an adequate pathological diagnosis of the monument can be made, locating possible lesions before they manifest or develop too much, and their removal becomes complicated.

Structural Analysis of “La Giralda”, Bell Tower of the Seville Cathedral

“…Therefore, the following section analyzes the foundation of the bell tower. This geometric analysis was complemented with several quick auscultation tests on the monument and its constituent materials [13,14]. A complete optical analysis of the materials constituting the façade was carried out (Figure 8) and a thermographic analysis that allowed verifying the absence of pathological deficiencies in the perimeter walls (Figure 9).…”

Thermography Applied to Damage Diagnosis over Monuments and Ancient Constructions

“…Thermography is an instrumental diagnostic and auscultation technique for heritage materials of great interest [1][2][3]. Thermography allows you to accurately measure the surface temperatures of an object without maintaining physical contact with it.…”