Monitoring

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<bibimport /> Authors: Steffen Laue, Christine Bläuer, Erwin Stadlbauer

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Introduction and Definition

The term monitoring describes the systematic study and recording of processes with the help of technical instruments or other surveillance systems. Monitoring is used for surveillance and guidance in developing processes to prevent decay and incidents.

Within conservation and restoration of art and cultural property, monitoring is defined as an observation process to understand the deterioration mechanisms and thus be able to devise appropriate methods to achieve continuous care and long term preservation. Monitoring is the only method to gain knowledge about the complex interaction between all relevant factors within a building, e.g., materials and their properties, temperature and humidity changes, salts, microbiology and anthropogenic influences. Applying the definition to salts in masonry and wall paintings, monitoring entails the systematic recording and observation of salts and/or salt decay as well as environmental parameters like climate or humidity changes [Arnold.etal:1991].

Fundamental and framework conditions

Monitoring of salts and salt decay can, depending on its objectives, be carried out to varying degrees of detail. Prior to beginning with the actual monitoring and depending on the object and decay scenario, the aim of the monitoring needs to be defined. Pre-requisite for this is a condition survey of the relevant object together with qualitative and, if necessary, also quantitative analysis of salt content [Blaeuer-Boehm:1994]Christine Bläuer-Böhm (1994).

The aim of monitoring can, for example, serve to answer the following questions:

  • What is the activation mechanism for the crystallization of the salts present?
  • When and in which climatic conditions will the salts cause active damage?
  • What kinetics does the process involve?
  • When is the best time for salt reduction or other interventive measures?
  • What preventive measures are required?

Additionally, it is necessary to consider if monitoring of clearly defined reference surfaces is preferable to monitoring the whole situation. The duration of possible preliminary investigations and subsequent monitoring also needs to be agreed at the beginning of the project unless its sole purpose is research based.

Prior to undertaking monitoring (which, depending on the nature of the problem, can be carried out before, during or after an intervention) the following points should be determined:

  1. What is to be observed/measured? Examples: Efflorescence, quantitative amount of salt ions, decay (type and form), climate (air temperature, relative humidity, surface temperature), dampness horizons.
  2. Which area is to be observed and measured? To answer this question, in addition to the already mentioned condition surveys, it is necessary to consider whether the determination of monitoring locations would require additional preliminary investigations and if so, what are the properties of the object surface and substrate?
  3. For how long and at which intervals is monitoring to be carried out? The duration and cycles of observation need to be determined.
  4. What is to be used for monitoring? Which methods and equipment are likely to obtain optimal results? Which methods and equipment are available? Is a macroscopic observation and documentation of the processes sufficient or should recording equipment to measure climatic or surface conditions be used?
  5. How detailed and precise should the recorded data be? How is the monitoring going to be documented? Have relevant guidelines or parameters been defined? At what intervals should the observations/measurements be carried out? How big is the risk that rare but special or important single events are not recorded? What should the quality benchmark be set at? Is the qualitative observation of changes sufficient or is the quantitative recording in the micro and nano scale required, e.g., with laser holography?
  6. Who carries out the monitoring and who evaluates the results? Primarily this concerns the qualifications of the practitioner or commissioning person: Is specialist training/guidance required? Are there objects/situations which require special training? Who interprets the results and who draws up the conclusions in relation to treatment recommendations?

Monitoring is not the final objective in itself but merely a critical step in the process that needs to be followed to finally arrive at a solution to a problem The results will be more meaningful if the relevant questions can be answered and if the procedure to be followed is precisely defined. Monitoring is an adaptable process that requires open minded operators.

Outlook

Monitoring of salts, salt decay and their environmental parameters is a very effective method of gaining understanding about the decay progress on an object. Suitable conservation and restoration measures can be developed based on the monitoring results. It has been shown that optimal monitoring should be prepared with relevant preliminary investigations and organized and executed by trained personnel.

In practice, optimal monitoring is rarely carried out because:

a) it often costs too much time and money (but considerably less than failed intervention measures) and

b) predominantly because the effectiveness of monitoring is not known to or recognized by many owners or project agents.

Far more education is required for owners in this field and clients as well as researchers, but a willingness to learn and understand is also needed.

Additionally, further fundamental research needs to be carried out to optimize monitoring processes of salts on objects.

Further research subjects to undertake would be among others:

  • Development of monitoring standards: e.g., is it possible to achieve objective observations and how can this be achieved?
  • Monitoring automation - does it make sense and if so, how can it be applied in practice?
  • Which types of professions should be trained in monitoring?
  • Development of so called „low-level-monitoring“ for smaller objects with less funding and/or time available.

Literature overview

Andreas Arnold can, without doubt, be described as a significant pioneer in monitoring salts. Together with his Zurich project team (especially with Andreas Kueng and Konrad Zehnder) he created a substantial basis and provided important impulses for the research and practice in conservation and restoration during the 1980s and ‘90s. A few exemplary articles from the extensive list of publications of this and other project teams are listed here. The following sorting into two groups is intended to facilitate an easy overview and access.

Articles which mainly deal with the basics and investigative methods:

[Arnold.etal:1991]Title: Monitoring Wall Paintings Affected by soluble Salts
Author: Arnold, Andreas; Zehnder, Konrad
Link to Google Scholar, [Bionda:2004]Title: Methodology for the preventive conservation of sensitive monuments: microclimate and salt activity in a church
Author: Bionda, Davide
Link to Google Scholar, [Blaeuer-Boehm:1994]Title: Salzuntersuchungen an Baudenkmälern
Author: Bläuer-Böhm, Christine
Link to Google Scholar, [Franzen:2006]Title: Analytische Begleitung von Salzreduzierungsmaßnahmen
Author: Franzen, Christoph
Link to Google Scholar, [Guelker.etal:2004]Title: Monitoring of salt-induced deformations in porous systems by Microscopic Speckel Pattern Interferometry
Author: Gülker, Gerd; Hinsch, Klaus; El Jarad, A.
Link to Google Scholar, [Hammer:2001]Title: Inhalte der visuellen Dokumentation in der Konservierung/Restaurierung von Wandmalerei/Architekturoberfläche
Author: Hammer, Ivo
Link to Google Scholar, [Laue:2002]Title: Verwitterung von Naturstein durch lösliche Salze an wechselfeuchter Luft
Author: Laue, Steffen
Link to Google Scholar, [Leitner:2003]Title: Die Rolle des Restaurators im interdisziplinären Feld der Erhaltung von salzbelasteten Wandmalereien
Author: Leitner, Heinz
Link to Google Scholar, [Pinchin:2008]Title: Techniques for monitoring moisture in walls
Author: Pinchin, S. E.
Link to Google Scholar, [Sawdy:2001]Title: The Kinetics of Salt Weathering of Porous Materials: Stone Monuments and Wall Painting
Author: Sawdy, Alison
Link to Google Scholar, [Steiger.etal:1998]Title: Salze in Natursteinmauerwerk - Probennahme, Messung und Interpretation
Author: Steiger, Michael; Neumann, Hans-Herrmann; Grodten, Torsten; Wittenburg, Christian; Dannecker, Walter
Link to Google Scholar, [WTA_E 4-5-99/D:1999]The entry doesn't exist yet., [Zier:2002]Title: Untersuchung der Salzbelastung – Analysenmethoden, Bewertung, Grenzwerte
Author: Zier, Hans-Werner
Link to Google Scholar.

Articles which primarily provide case studies of investigations of historic structures and wall paintings

[Behrens.etal:2005]Title: Wandmalerei-Referenzflächen-Monitoring am Beispiel der Stiftskirche Königslutter – Methoden und Erkenntnisse für die praktische Denkmalpflege
Author: Behrens, Elke; Berling, Helmut; Hornschuch, A.; Niemeyer, Rolf; Recker, Bernhard; Schwarz, Hans-Jürgen; Stadlbauer, Erwin
Link to Google Scholar [Häfner:2003]The entry doesn't exist yet. [Koehler:2003]Title: Zerstörungsfreie Untersuchungsmethoden an salzbelasteten Wandflächen
Author: Köhler, Wolfram
Link to Google Scholar [Laue:2005]Title: Salt Weathering of Porous Structures Related to Climate Changes
Author: Laue, Steffen
Link to Google Scholar [Laue:2006]Title: Untersuchungen zur Schadensdynamik löslicher Salze am Beispiel des Chores im Freiberger Dom
Author: Laue, Steffen
Link to Google Scholar [Sanders.etal:2005]Title: Monitoring of the moisture and salt load in restoration plasters in St. Barbara's church in Culemborg
Author: Sanders, M. M.; Van Hees, Rob P. J.
Link to Google Scholar [Sawdy.etal:2005a]Title: Salt damage at Cleeve Abbey, England. Part I: A comparison of theoretical predictions and practical observations
Author: Sawdy, Alison; Price, Clifford
Link to Google Scholar [Sawdy.etal:2005b]Title: Salt damage at Cleeve Abbey, England. Part II: seasonal variability of salt distribution and implications for sampling strategies
Author: Sawdy, Alison; Price, Clifford
Link to Google Scholar [Tiano.etal:2008]Title: In situ monitoring of monumental surfaces
Author: Tiano, P.; Pardini, C.
Link to Google Scholar [Zehnder:2007]Title: Long-term monitoring of wall paintings affected by soluble salts
Author: Zehnder, Konrad
Link to Google Scholar

Literatur

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