Decay Assessment of Stone-Built Cultural Heritage: The Case Study of the Cosenza Cathedral Façade (South Calabria, Italy)

Abstract

This study aims to assess the different decay phenomena affecting the Cosenza Cathedral façade (Calabria, South Italy) through the evaluation of the relative damage indices. For this goal, a multidisciplinary approach was applied exploiting both nondestructive and microdestructive techniques. Such a combination enabled proposing an intervention priority scale that can be helpful to institutions when planning a prompt restoration intervention. The results suggest the efficiency of this approach to obtain a multidisciplinary diagnostic and conservation system for the management and valorization of the Cultural Heritage also in terms of monitoring, maintenance, and selection of the most suitable restoration procedures over time.

Evaluation of Natural Stone Weathering in Heritage Building by Infrared Thermography

“…In particular, the mineralogical composition of rocks, along with their physical properties (with specific regard to porosity), play a key control in the kinetics of degradation processes [3][4][5]. In the last decade, different non-destructive technologies have been employed to study the deterioration affecting stones at historical monuments and buildings [6][7][8]. Casula et al [9] highlighted the presence of cracks and micro-cracks in masonry through the combination of laser and ultrasound scanning techniques, while Avdelidis and Moropoulou [10] used Infrared Thermography (IRT) to detect surface cracks, detachments, differences in material or the presence of moisture within the structures.…”