Damp and salt rising in damaged masonry structures: numerical modelling and NDT monitoring

Existing research on structural deterioration of historic structures generally concentrated on direct mechanical causes of deterioration rather than on physical-chemical effects of aggressive agents on the mechanical parameters of masonry and their interaction. The research presented herein studies deterioration of masonry in a unified environmental framework which accounts for both the mechanical and the physical-chemical effects and their coupling. Numerical models and experiments have considered various cases including mechanically damaged and undamaged masonry walls with moisture capillary rise from foundations, with and without salt inclusions at different concentrations. Examples from on-going work are shown.