Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction

Carlotta Ferrara; Pier Matteo Barone

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction

Carlotta Ferrara, Pier Matteo Barone

Published in International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 3, Issue 1-1)

Received: 31 December 2014 Accepted: 8 January 2015 Published: 14 January 2015

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Abstract

Moisture damage is the most important issue in the preservation and integrity of cultural heritage. This paper discusses the ability of geophysical instruments to detect this problem. Non-destructive techniques (NDTs), such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), use electromagnetic (EM) impulses to investigate archaeological sites and building structures that are affected by moisture and can be used to locate and estimate the extent of damage and to develop restoration plans before permanent damage occurs. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the capacity of surface GPR to rapidly and non-invasively estimate physical soil properties, develop novel processing strategies and provide valuable information about the investigated material in archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This new approach analyzes the amplitude attributes of the GPR pulse obtained from conventional single-offset surface-coupled profiling. To achieve the objective of this study, the technique is examined in two different experimental test settings to show that GPR analyses clearly highlight dampness as ringing anomalies with a very low EM signal amplitudes that are caused by high attenuation, poor antenna coupling, and temporal stretching. These indicators are important for diagnosing cultural heritage sites by allowing for the correct and precise visualization of radargrams and time-slices of the moisture anomalies.

Published in	International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 3, Issue 1-1) This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Sciences
DOI	10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
Page(s)	57-61
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

GPR; Moisture; Amplitude, Attenuation; Time stretching; NDT; Archaeology; Cultural Heritage; Restoration

References

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[2]	P.A. Annan, “Ground Penetrating Radar. Principles, Procedures & Applications”, Sensors & Software, Inc., Missisauga, Ontario, 2004.
[3]	H.M. Künzel, A. Holm, “Moisture control and problem analysis of heritage constructions”, in: V.P. Freitas (Ed.), “Proceedings of PATORREB, 3th Encontro sobre Patologia e Rehabilitacao de Edifícios”, Porto, March 18–20 FEUP, Portugal, 2009, pp. 85–102.
[4]	P. Lourenco, E. Luso, M. Almeida, “Defects and moisture problems in buildings from historical city centres: a case study in Portugal”, Building and Environment 41, 2, 2006, 223–234. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.01.001.
[5]	S. Montonato, C. Colombo, C. Conti, F. Costanzi, R. Negrotti, T. Poli, M. Realini, M. Valentini, “Water and soluble salts on porous materials: an experimental study of damages on bricks”, in: F. Zezza, V. Perthuisot, A. Plançon (Eds.), “Proceedings of Water and Cultural Heritage”, 7th International Symposium on the conservation of monuments in the Mediterranean basin, Orléans, June 6–9, France, 2007.
[6]	A. Tavukcuoglu, G. Disli, L. Tosun, E. Grinzato, E.N. Caner-Saltik, “Rainwater drainage system investigation of an historical hammam by using non-destructive methods”. in: F. Zezza, V. Perthuisot, A. Plançon (Eds.), “Proceedings of Water and Cultural Heritage”, 7th International Symposium on the conservation of monuments in the Mediterranean basin, Orléans, June 6–9, France, 2007. pp.153-165.
[7]	A.P. Annan, “Radio interferometery depth sounding: Part I – Theoretical discussion”, Geophysics, 38, 1973, pp. 557–580.
[8]	J.A. Huisman, S.S. Hubbard, J.D. Redman, and A.P. Annan, “Measuring soil water content with ground penetrating radar: a review”, Vadose Zone Journal 2, 2003, pp. 476–491. DOI: 10.2136/vzj2003.4760
[9]	C. Ferrara, “Ground penetrating radar early-time technique for soil Electromagnetic parameters estimation”, PhD dissertation, Università di Bologna, 2014.
[10]	G. Turner, “The influence of subsurface properties on ground penetrating radar pulses”. PhD dissertation, Macquarie University, Sydney, 1993.
[11]	Z.M. Sbartai, S. Laurens, J. Rhazi, J.P. Balayssac, and G. Arliguie, “Using radar direct wave for concrete condition assessment: Correlation with electrical resistivity”, Journal of Applied Geophysics 62, 2007, pp. 361–374. DOI: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2007.02.003
[12]	C.M. Steelman, and A.L. Endres, “Comparison of petrophysical relationships for soil moisture estimation using GPR ground waves”, Vadose Zone J. 10, 2011, pp. 270–285. DOI: 10.2136/vzj2010.0040
[13]	C. Ferrara, P.M. Barone, S.E. Lauro, D. Capitani, V. Di Tullio, E. Mattei, N. Proietti, and E. Pettinelli, “Integrated GPR and unilateral NMR approach to estimate water content in a porous material”, in Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar, Aachen, 2011.
[14]	C. Ferrara, V. Di Tullio, P.M. Barone, E. Mattei, S.E. Lauro, N. Proietti, D. Capitani, and E. Pettinelli, “Comparison of GPR and Unilateral NMR for water content measurements in a laboratory scale experiment”, Near Surface Geophysics 11, 2013. DOI: 10.3997/1873-0604.2012051
[15]	C. Ferrara, D. Comite, P.M. Barone, S.E. Lauro, E. Mattei, G. Vannaroni, A. Galli, and E. Pettinelli, “An Evaluation of the Early-Time GPR Amplitude Technique for Electrical Conductivity Monitoring”, in Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Advanced Ground Penetrating Radar, Nantes 2013.
[16]	C. Ferrara, P.M. Barone, C. Steelman, E. Pettinelli, and A.L. Endres, “Monitoring shallow soil water content under natural field conditions using the early-time GPR signal technique”, in Vadose Zone Journal, 2013. DOI:10.2136/vzj2012.0202
[17]	P.M. Barone, E. Mattei, and E. Pettinelli, “Non-invasive archaeological exploration in stratigraphically complex rural settings: an example from Ferento (Viterbo, Italy)”, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 5, 3, 2013, pp. 267-273. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-013-0138-3

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Carlotta Ferrara, Pier Matteo Barone. (2015). Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. International Journal of Archaeology, 3(1-1), 57-61. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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ACS Style

Carlotta Ferrara; Pier Matteo Barone. Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. Int. J. Archaeol. 2015, 3(1-1), 57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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AMA Style

Carlotta Ferrara, Pier Matteo Barone. Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. Int J Archaeol. 2015;3(1-1):57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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@article{10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17,
  author = {Carlotta Ferrara and Pier Matteo Barone},
  title = {Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction},
  journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1-1},
  pages = {57-61},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  abstract = {Moisture damage is the most important issue in the preservation and integrity of cultural heritage. This paper discusses the ability of geophysical instruments to detect this problem. Non-destructive techniques (NDTs), such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), use electromagnetic (EM) impulses to investigate archaeological sites and building structures that are affected by moisture and can be used to locate and estimate the extent of damage and to develop restoration plans before permanent damage occurs. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the capacity of surface GPR to rapidly and non-invasively estimate physical soil properties, develop novel processing strategies and provide valuable information about the investigated material in archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This new approach analyzes the amplitude attributes of the GPR pulse obtained from conventional single-offset surface-coupled profiling. To achieve the objective of this study, the technique is examined in two different experimental test settings to show that GPR analyses clearly highlight dampness as ringing anomalies with a very low EM signal amplitudes that are caused by high attenuation, poor antenna coupling, and temporal stretching. These indicators are important for diagnosing cultural heritage sites by allowing for the correct and precise visualization of radargrams and time-slices of the moisture anomalies.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction
AU  - Carlotta Ferrara
AU  - Pier Matteo Barone
Y1  - 2015/01/14
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
SP  - 57
EP  - 61
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7595
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
AB  - Moisture damage is the most important issue in the preservation and integrity of cultural heritage. This paper discusses the ability of geophysical instruments to detect this problem. Non-destructive techniques (NDTs), such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), use electromagnetic (EM) impulses to investigate archaeological sites and building structures that are affected by moisture and can be used to locate and estimate the extent of damage and to develop restoration plans before permanent damage occurs. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the capacity of surface GPR to rapidly and non-invasively estimate physical soil properties, develop novel processing strategies and provide valuable information about the investigated material in archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This new approach analyzes the amplitude attributes of the GPR pulse obtained from conventional single-offset surface-coupled profiling. To achieve the objective of this study, the technique is examined in two different experimental test settings to show that GPR analyses clearly highlight dampness as ringing anomalies with a very low EM signal amplitudes that are caused by high attenuation, poor antenna coupling, and temporal stretching. These indicators are important for diagnosing cultural heritage sites by allowing for the correct and precise visualization of radargrams and time-slices of the moisture anomalies.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1-1
ER  -

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Author Information

Carlotta Ferrara

Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale, 84 – 00146 Rome, Italy
Pier Matteo Barone

Archaeology and Classics Program, The American University of Rome, Via P. Roselli, 4 – 00153 Rome, Italy

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APA Style

Carlotta Ferrara, Pier Matteo Barone. (2015). Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. International Journal of Archaeology, 3(1-1), 57-61. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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ACS Style

Carlotta Ferrara; Pier Matteo Barone. Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. Int. J. Archaeol. 2015, 3(1-1), 57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

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AMA Style

Carlotta Ferrara, Pier Matteo Barone. Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction. Int J Archaeol. 2015;3(1-1):57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17,
  author = {Carlotta Ferrara and Pier Matteo Barone},
  title = {Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction},
  journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1-1},
  pages = {57-61},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.s.2015030101.17},
  abstract = {Moisture damage is the most important issue in the preservation and integrity of cultural heritage. This paper discusses the ability of geophysical instruments to detect this problem. Non-destructive techniques (NDTs), such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), use electromagnetic (EM) impulses to investigate archaeological sites and building structures that are affected by moisture and can be used to locate and estimate the extent of damage and to develop restoration plans before permanent damage occurs. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the capacity of surface GPR to rapidly and non-invasively estimate physical soil properties, develop novel processing strategies and provide valuable information about the investigated material in archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This new approach analyzes the amplitude attributes of the GPR pulse obtained from conventional single-offset surface-coupled profiling. To achieve the objective of this study, the technique is examined in two different experimental test settings to show that GPR analyses clearly highlight dampness as ringing anomalies with a very low EM signal amplitudes that are caused by high attenuation, poor antenna coupling, and temporal stretching. These indicators are important for diagnosing cultural heritage sites by allowing for the correct and precise visualization of radargrams and time-slices of the moisture anomalies.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Detecting Moisture Damage in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: a Brief Introduction
AU  - Carlotta Ferrara
AU  - Pier Matteo Barone
Y1  - 2015/01/14
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
SP  - 57
EP  - 61
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7595
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.s.2015030101.17
AB  - Moisture damage is the most important issue in the preservation and integrity of cultural heritage. This paper discusses the ability of geophysical instruments to detect this problem. Non-destructive techniques (NDTs), such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), use electromagnetic (EM) impulses to investigate archaeological sites and building structures that are affected by moisture and can be used to locate and estimate the extent of damage and to develop restoration plans before permanent damage occurs. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the capacity of surface GPR to rapidly and non-invasively estimate physical soil properties, develop novel processing strategies and provide valuable information about the investigated material in archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This new approach analyzes the amplitude attributes of the GPR pulse obtained from conventional single-offset surface-coupled profiling. To achieve the objective of this study, the technique is examined in two different experimental test settings to show that GPR analyses clearly highlight dampness as ringing anomalies with a very low EM signal amplitudes that are caused by high attenuation, poor antenna coupling, and temporal stretching. These indicators are important for diagnosing cultural heritage sites by allowing for the correct and precise visualization of radargrams and time-slices of the moisture anomalies.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1-1
ER  -

Copy | Download