Stone Decay

Stone buildings and monuments form the cultural centres of many of the world's urban areas. Frequently these areas are prone to high levels of atmospheric pollution that promote a variety of aggressive stone decay processes. Because of this, stone decay is now widely recognised as a severe threat to much of our cultural heritage. An interdisciplinary approach between geologists, environmental scientists, chemists, material scientists, civil engineers, restorers and architects aims to strengthen the knowledge base dealing with the causes, consequences, prevention and solution of stone decay problems.

This volume offers valuable insights into the nature of decay processes and the factors that control them. It presents several studies on the impact of pollution on stonework in urban environments. Important methodological contributions cover: the mapping of facades to explain rates of decay associated with conservation actions; the laboratory simulation of corrosion in polluted atmospheres; the quantification of colour change through a study of the artificial ageing of building stone. The effectiveness of stone treatments within the laboratory is also considered.

This book brings together papers by scientists, conservators and building surveyors active in stone decay and conservation research within the UK. It addresses issues of stone weathering, mechanisms and rates, the effects of urban pollution, cleaning methods, and the role of the conservator within research. The concepts regarding the value of stone heritage are also discussed as an important aspect towards retaining our diverse building heritage. Contents: Gravestones: Problems and Potentials as Indicators of Historic Changes in Weathering (R J Inkpen)Role of Atmospheric Sulphur Dioxide in the Sulphation Reaction of Frescoes (N Schiavon & G Schiavon)Moisture Loss from Stone Influenced by Salt Accumulation (B J Smith & E M Kennedy)Characterisation of Decay Features on Sandstone Following Cleaning: Preliminary Observations (P A Warke et al.)Removal and Analysis of Soluble Salts from Chemically Cleaned Sandstones (S P Fernandez et al.)Contingent Valuation Comes to Town (N Gomersall)Cleaning of Stone Buildings: The Applicability of Established Value Assessment Methodologies (R A Laing & D Urquhart)Carved Stones (I A G Shepherd)Effect of Hydrocarbons on Biofilm Development on Sandstone (R V Yordanov & K Nicholson)Heat and Mass Transfer at the Surface of Two Sandstone Types Under Different Atmospheric Conditions (S P Fernandez & P Martin)New Instruments for Monitoring Algae Populations on Stone Surfaces (E Brechet et al.)and other papers Readership: Conservators and building surveyors. Keywords:Stone Decay;Conservation;Urban Pollution;Cleaning Methods;Building Heritage

This study examines the various processes and the methods of determining urban stone decay. The contributions include coverage of: spatial variability of dissolution on a limestone surface; ageing of consolidated stone; and techniques for making contemporary copies of stone antiquities.

This volume, unlike the three preceding it, represents the collected papers from an experiment with an "electronic symposium". Co-participators in this symposium included The George Washington University, The Smithsonian Institution, Clark Atlanta University, the Agriculture Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, The University of Georgia, Morris Brown College, Spellman College, Morehouse College, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, The United States Food and Drug Administration, and the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture among others. This unusual "electronic symposium" concept was developed by members of the Program, Planning and Organizing Committee as an alternative to the more costly convention-type symposium. As before, leading scientists in specific topic areas were invited to participate. Topic Session chairpersons were encouraged to arrange their own method of communication by telephone, electronic mail, or conference call, and report their findings back to the symposium center at The George Washington University. Additional papers were accepted from individuals and laboratories who are actively involved in relevant areas of research and study. Participation was also arranged for internationally established scientists. International authors are represented herein from Nigeria, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Argentina. Our goal was to present a research composite volume that reflected current developments, informed reviews, new and recently developing areas of the present state of knowledge as it relates to these proceeding topics. All of the reports included in this volume have undergone scientific, technical and editorial peer review.

There is considerable academic and practical interest in stone and stone buildings, as exemplified by the wide range of high-quality and innovative work being conducted in the pursuit of the effective preservation and restoration of historic buildings. This is reflected in the numerous publications on stone and stone buildings that regularly find their way into the public domain. Not least amongst these are a number of Geological Society Special Publications, which have appeared in recent years. This current volume seeks to bring to the attention of the various professionals in the field (geologists, architects, engineers, conservators and conservation scientists) recent work centred on the characterization and performance of this important resource and its use in historic buildings. The volume has wider relevance, including to those interested in the heritage of stone.