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An unhealthy environment in buildings caused mainly by humidity can be observed mainly in older buildings. This problem has been known for many years and can be considered a global problem. Dampness of the construction does not only have a negative effect on the environment and people who live here for a long time. The problem of humidity is also associated with a negative impact on the properties of the affected construction. It is therefore necessary to pay attention to technologies that can additionally suppress rising humidity. The contribution is focused on a specific building and researching the design of optimal remedial technology against rising dampness and its effectiveness. The methodology is based on collecting data before and after remedial interventions that are effective against rising damp. These values are then presented using graphs. At the end, it evaluates the appropriateness of the intervention according to the obtained results and proposes theoretical measures for optimizing the internal environment of the object, for example by applying ATP.

Standardized laboratory testing is normally used for characterization of building materials and components. In real life, especially when assessing buildings in terms of water-damaged building materials, built-in moisture, rising damp or other problems, information on the hygrothermal state of the constructions may be relevant, but is often sparse. This paper presents a study where application of a newly developed non-destructive experimental method is used to measure the relative humidity (RH) at the surface of four types of building materials. Knowing the RH at the surface, a risk assessment of fungal growth can be made. The materials include concrete, brick, aerated concrete, and gypsum, with and without a surface treatment. The method is based on the idea of establishing a water vapor transport towards equilibrium within a small air volume in contact with the surface of interest. In the laboratory the specimens were conditioned at respectively 65 % RH and 90 % RH in a climate chamber, and then transferred to conditions with 50 % RH. The open side of a Petri dish, equipped with a temperature and relative humidity sensor, was attached to the materials using reusable adhesive. The development of the relative humidity over time within the petri dish was monitored and parameterized mathematically, solving an exponential rate equation. The parameterization and certain sets of assumptions allow among other things a calculation of time to equilibrium which makes it possible to assess the reproducibility and comparison in between materials. As the materials were tested with and without surface treatment, it was possible to estimate the effect of a typical surface treatment on the moisture transport. The measurements compared well to simulations made by a model, though the model predicts slightly faster achievement of equilibrium. Despite the limited number of cases in the current study, the presented results are promising with regards to enable rough estimates of RH at the surface of building materials outside the laboratory with a very simple, inexpensive, and non-destructive method.

The effective preservation and condition assessment of cultural heritage structures require advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques that can identify structural issues without inflicting harm. This study proposes a novel methodology that integrates Infrared Thermography (IRT) with three-dimensional (3D) geometric documentation to create a comprehensive diagnostic system for heritage conservation. The method was applied to walls adjacent to the Library of Pantainos in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece. Geometric documentation was achieved through terrestrial surveying and photogrammetric techniques to generate detailed 3D models. For this purpose, non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques were applied. Specifically Infrared Thermography (IRT), high-resolution infrared thermograms were acquired using a thermal camera under controlled environmental conditions and systematically mapped onto the geometric documentation products, enabling precise localization of thermal anomalies and structural deterioration. In addition, digital microscopy (DM) was also employed to categorize stones and mortars. This combined approach allows for precise localization and visualization of thermal anomalies, such as rising damp, material deterioration, and structural weaknesses. In Wall 1, the method identified rising damp accumulation leading to salt crystallization, while in Walls 2 and 3, severe material degradation and thermal stresses were observed. By integrating interdisciplinary data, this technique enhances the accuracy and efficiency of condition assessments, supporting informed conservation decisions. The study demonstrates the significant potential of combining IRT with 3D documentation to improve diagnostic capabilities and offers a robust framework for future applications in cultural heritage conservation.

This paper reviews several traditional and modern damp-proof courses (DPCs) techniques that have been used worldwide and show the limitation(s) of each technique. It also presents a new waterproofing technique employing the principles of capillary breaking layers (CBLs) used widely in earth structures. The paper presents the results of a study on rising damp based upon a practical one-year-long tests. The short and the long term hygrothermal behavior of the proposed technique was also investigated numerically using WUFI simulation program. It has been found that a capillary breaking layer can be successfully utilized to create a capillary barrier that is capable of blocking moisture rise in a brick wall and enhancing wall breathability at the level of treatment.

This investigation studies the physical and chemical effect of salt weathering on biocalcarenites and biocalcrudites in the Basilica of Our Lady of Succour (Aspe, Spain). Weathering patterns are the result of salty rising capillary water and water lixiviated from pigeon droppings. Surface modifications and features induced by material loss are observable in the monument. Formation of gypsum, hexahydrite, halite, aphthitalite and arcanite is associated with rising capillary water, and niter, hydroxyapatite, brushite, struvite, weddellite, oxammite and halite with pigeon droppings. Humberstonite is related to the interaction of both types of waters. Analysis of crystal shapes reveals different saturation degree conditions. Single salts show non-equilibrium shapes, implying higher crystallisation pressures. Single salts have undergone dissolution and/or dehydration processes enhancing the deterioration process, particularly in the presence of magnesium sulphate. Double salts (humberstonite) have crystals corresponding to near-equilibrium form, implying lower crystallisation pressures. This geochemical study suggests salts precipitate via incongruent reactions rather than congruent precipitation, where hexahydrite is the precursor and limiting reactant of humberstonite. Chemical dissolution of limestone is driven mainly by the presence of acidic water lixiviated from pigeon droppings and is a critical weathering process affecting the most valuable architectural elements present in the façades.

Most of the historical and old building stock in Europe are constructed from masonry, when brick, stones, or their combination are bound with traditional mortars. Rising damp, due to accompanying effects, is the main factor influencing the quality of indoor climate as well as having an important impact on the durability of masonry structures. In this study, new types of lightweight concrete with waste aggregate content as a suitable material for remediation of damp damaged masonries were designed and tested. Alternative aggregate served as silica sand substitution in the range of 0–100 vol.%. Basic structural properties, mechanical resistance, water, and water vapor transport properties were measured after 28 days of water curing and were compared with dense reference concrete and with traditional masonry materials as well. Moreover, the porous structure of produced concretes and changes caused by usage of alternative aggregate usage were evaluated with the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) technique. Obtained experimental data showed the suitability of modified concretes with 25–50 vol.% of waste aggregate content to ensure acceptable strength and hydric properties, and these properties were found to be comparable with masonry structures and materials used in the past.

This work presents a new protocol for monitoring rising damp, which is applied to three masonry models made of tuff, carparo, and Lecce stone. First, the physical characteristics of each stone were derived in the laboratory, which included porosity, imbibition, drying index, permeability, capillarity, and sorptivity. In this case, the protocol provided three columns, one for each material, consisting of five blocks. A layer of cotton tissue was interposed between columned blocks to simulate the hygroscopic behavior of a mortar, allowing a quick disassembly and reassembly of the multiblock columns for a quick weighing. The bottoms of the columns were immersed in water to a level of about three centimeters, providing a constant replenishment for the phenomena of evaporation and rising in the stone. The maximum height achieved by the rising damp depends on the characteristics of the building materials, i.e., the amount and size of pores, pore connectivity, etc. Since these materials have different physical characteristics, the objective was to quantify the rising moisture level of the three materials tested, block by block, in a controlled indoor microclimate environment. The three columns were periodically weighed, the quantity of collected water was evaluated, and a thermographic survey was performed. The results show that at the end of the test, the highest level of rising damp is reached by tuff with a height of 43 cm, followed by Lecce stone and carparo with a height of 40 cm and 21 cm, respectively. The innovation of this study is the proposal of a new flexible and easy-to-apply method for monitoring this phenomenon. It gives clear and numerically comparable results. Moreover, it is applicable to any type of stone, allowing the user to evaluate both the existing state and different design solutions.

Post tsunami 26 December 2004, rising damp and salt attack are two underestimated phenomena emerging on building construction on the tsunami-affected areas in Banda Aceh city, Aceh Province of Indonesia. The severity of building quality deterioration, particularly on the typical masonry walls, has never been observed by local inhabitants to have been escalated before the tsunami event. Such phenomena persistently present even after approaching the second decade of the post-tsunami event. The present study is the first attempt to explore the evidence of rising damp and salt attacks of the houses around the Banda Aceh city. Forty-five houses were purposively sampled based on their visual appearances being affected by the salt attack and rising damp, the heights of the rising damp, and also groundwater salinity in the vicinity of the sampled houses. The results show that the rising damp heights on the walls are relatively high in any location within the tsunami inundation boundary 500 m from the shoreline. However, a turning point where rising damp height reduced remarkably to less than 1 meter was identified as the distance of houses increased beyond 500 m from the shoreline. Overall, the high level of water salinity brought by tsunami inundation during the early post-tsunami has been an important controlling factor contributing to the salt attack and rising damp, regardless of the houses’ distance to the shoreline, but may have been indirectly influenced those phenomena in the long run.

In coastal areas, the rising damp of salty water is a well-known degradation factor of historical masonries, leading to visible features such as crusts, masonry erosion, and plaster loss. Venetian masonries are strongly affected by decay caused by rising damp exacerbated by direct contact with salty water. Recurrent flooding due to high tides and an increase in the frequency of flooding events, also related to climate change, raises concern about the impacts. Although several studies have been carried out on probable future scenarios, a valuation of the decay risk due to rising damp at the urban level still needs to be implemented. This paper proposes a non-invasive and economically sustainable approach for evaluating rising damp effects at an urban scale. The approach includes a collection of archive images of masonries affected by rising damp dating back to the 1990s; a visual survey of the actual conservation state of masonries; a classification based on significant descriptors; and a discussion on exposure conditions and conservation states. The descriptors chosen are rising damp levels, biological growth, plaster loss, efflorescence, and brick erosion. The evaluation was implemented in a georeferenced system suitable for future comparisons, thus providing a management tool for the city’s preservation.

Industrial masonry chimneys became widespread in the mid-19th century and were eventually integrated into urban landscapes, gaining significance as symbolic historical remnants of local industries. This poses new challenges, particularly concerning the safety of populations and goods, as well as the preservation of the now-historical structures. In this article, we assess the conservation status of the 45-meter-high chimney of the former cork processing factory Mundet, located in Montijo, Portugal. The study involved a structural survey conducted using height access equipment, along with an investigation to diagnose moisture and salt decay at the base of the chimney. The later included measuring current and hygroscopic moisture distributions, as well as XRD characterization of brick and mortar samples. At the chimney’s base, salt crystallization causes efflorescence and erosion leading to masonry disintegration. This is associated with rising damp and the presence of sodium sulfate in the brick and sodium chloride in the mortar. In the shaft, mortar erosion becomes more pronounced as we ascend. At the crown, extensive mortar erosion and limited compression have caused the NE-facing half to disappear, while the rest is at risk of imminent collapse. Damage mitigation measures to address this situation are proposed.