Dealing with Heritage: Assessment and Conservation

Conservation of built heritage implies the preservation of values, materials and techniques. Interventions in heritage buildings should be minimal, necessary and compatible in aesthetical and technical sense. The quality of the interventions needs to meet intended and agreed-to standards.This book underlines the importance of a sound assessment...

Effectiveness of electromagnetic and electro-osmosis methods for the treatment of rising damp

Rising damp is a very common phenomenon and one of the most important threats for historical buildings. In this paper two non-invasive systems are studied, the first one is based on the interaction of pulsed electromagnetic waves with the porous materials and the second one is based on the active electro-osmosis principle where the natural...

New test methods to verify the performance of chemical injections to deal with rising damp

The injection of chemical products, meant to penetrate in the capillaries of the materials composing an affected wall, is perhaps the most diffused method to deal with rising damp. The majority of these chemical products are hydrophobic treatments; they can be either solvent-based or (increasingly) water-based. Traditionally, these products...

Effectiveness of methods against rising damp in buildings: Results from the EMERISDA project

Rising damp is a recurrent hazard to ancient buildings in Europe and its relevance is expected to increase in the future, due to climate changes. The presence of rising damp in walls does not only create an unpleasant climate in buildings, but it also enhances damage processes such as frost action, salt crystallization and biological growth,...

Evaluation of Spreading and Effectiveness of Injection Products against Rising Damp in Mortar/Brick Combinations

Rising damp is one of the most recurrent and well-known hazards to existing buildings and monuments. Several types of intervention exist to tackle the problem. Among these, the creation of a damp-proof course against capillary rise by means of injection of chemical products is one of the most diffused methods, thanks to the relatively easy and...