Masonry material characterization through the 3D reconstruction of heritage buildings

Preservation of heritage buildings requires deep knowledge of architectural and archaeological masonry heritage. The EU-funded DocumeNDT project will develop a new approach to evaluate, record and present buildings and archaeological ruins. It will develop an improved methodology for the in situ non-destructive evaluation of the masonry built heritage, based on wave propagation non-destructive techniques, namely sonic, ultrasonic and ground penetrating radar tomography. In combination with photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning, a precise characterisation of the exterior and interior morphology of the masonry element is possible. Eventually aiming to characterise masonry material properties, project findings are expected to reveal specific correlations amongst elastic properties, geometry (internal and external), and wave propagation attributes.

Experimental campaign: Construction of stone masonry wallets

The first stone masonry wallets of the experimental campaign of the DocumeNDT project have been constructed. They have been carefully constructed to be representative of historical masonry walls using limestone and lime mortar. They have also been carefully documented (stone by stone) and, during the following months, the inspection system will be ready to perform sonic tomographic surveys. We aim to obtain a precise characterization of the interior morphology of the walls.

Experimental Campaign: Non-destructive Inspection in Borsch Castle, Albania

During the development of this project, an automatic non-destructive inspection system has been developed, which has recently been used for a measurement campaign in an old mosque in Borsh Castle, Albania. The system was to characterize the state of conservation and interior morphology of stone masonry walls. The results will help the conservation and rehabilitation team to select the most appropriate intervention for the conservation of the mosque.