Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SCORE (Sustainable COnservation and REstoration of built cultural heritage)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-11-01 do 2025-10-31
In Europe the ecological footprint of EU-28 countries grew from 1.6 Gha to 2.3 Gha in fifty years. Researchers and engineers together with stakeholders in charge of built cultural heritage must help to minimise the global ecological footprint by developing resource-efficient and climate-resilient innovative restoration and rehabilitation solutions within a holistic approach. Matching cultural heritage requirements with ecological, economic and social aspects becomes essential and involves all building and require highly qualified labour for conception, execution and conservation works. Decision-makers should combine the needs of society with the obligation to protect environmental and natural resources, whilst at the same time contributing to sustainable future development for integrating circular economy principles.
The SCORE project bring together an intersectoral, international and multidisciplinary group in order to strengthen collaborative research and innovation in eco-friendly conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. It develops a series of innovative materials and methods dedicated to built cultural heritage conservation, integrating the circular economy concept, climate change and ecological footprint constraints, which will be used by stakeholders.
Specifically, the SCORE project contributes directly to the implementation of the following three research and innovation objectives:
1. The development of “green” innovations: materials and methods for the conservation of ancient buildings based on a circular economy philosophy which would make “an essential contribution to the EU’s efforts to develop a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient and competitive economy’’.
2. Two-way assessment of impacts of the environment on materials and of materials on the environment: Climate conditions and atmosphere composition determine materials’ behaviour and, at the same time, the built conservation process impacts greenhouse gases emissions and then climate change.
3. Transfer to society: Training and knowledge transfer on both innovative and traditional materials and methods with a low environmental impact will concern consortium members, students, public and private owners, restorers, manufacturers, workers and volunteers on rehabilitation sites.
The SCORE project bring together an intersectoral, international and multidisciplinary group in order to strengthen collaborative research and innovation in eco-friendly conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. It develops a series of innovative materials and methods dedicated to built cultural heritage conservation, integrating the circular economy concept, climate change and ecological footprint constraints, which will be used by stakeholders.
Specifically, the SCORE project contributes directly to the implementation of the following three research and innovation objectives:
1. The development of “green” innovations: materials and methods for the conservation of ancient buildings based on a circular economy philosophy which would make “an essential contribution to the EU’s efforts to develop a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient and competitive economy’’.
2. Two-way assessment of impacts of the environment on materials and of materials on the environment: Climate conditions and atmosphere composition determine materials’ behaviour and, at the same time, the built conservation process impacts greenhouse gases emissions and then climate change.
3. Transfer to society: Training and knowledge transfer on both innovative and traditional materials and methods with a low environmental impact will concern consortium members, students, public and private owners, restorers, manufacturers, workers and volunteers on rehabilitation sites.
A complete characterisation of the case study was conducted. This description covered the environmental context, especially climate and socioeconomic factors. conditions, risks present at the sites, the typology of the buildings, employed materials, degradation types, and so on.
Laboratory studies have been conducted to characterise the original and newly developed materials: their mineral and chemical composition, physical properties, durability, etc.
Mortar formulations based on traditional materials (sand and aerial or natural hydraulic lime), recycled materials (bricks and glass), and natural additives (pinecone-derived) have been characterised, and their environmental impact estimated using life-cycle assessment techniques.
Renders from the deconstruction of a building in the Centre of France have been collected, ground, and characterised. Several washing methods have been tested to extract the original sands from the render. The extracted sands have been employed in the formulation of new mortars in order to evaluate their performance and their employability in restoration or rehabilitation works.
An exposure test of commercial mortars and mortars using formulations similar to those employed in an experimental restoration test in Oviedo has been performed in three different places: Oviedo, Cergy, and in a town of the Vexin Français. Several properties have been monitored during two years.
A four-year in-situ evaluation of fungal community dynamics on limestone surfaces in the Temple of the Warriors at the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico has been completed, focusing on cleaning and treatment using nanoparticles. The same treatments tested at Chichen Itza have been tested in Oviedo (Cathedral) and the Vexin Français (exposed samples).
Future and current climate data generated by Global Climate Models (GCMs) under the RCP8.5 scenario and different dose-response formulas were combined to quantify the impact of climatic factors and pollution on built cultural heritage.
A life cycle assessment of the restoration works in Chichen Itza has been performed. Data have been collected to dot the LCA other cases study.
The transfer of SCORE results to different publics took place during events such as the participation in the European Cultural Heritage days. During the seminar “La tradizione dei terrazzamenti: un patrimonio culturale in pericolo” (2021) in the framework of a series of evening conferences organized by Scuola di Riscostruzione di Accumoli for citizens. Summer School Envimat 2022 in Lipari, two activities specifically addressed to discovering the Aeolian Cultural Heritage, were organised. During the summer school of the Stone conference in 2025, a practical work has been organised for students in a church of the Vexin.
In April 2021, CNR-ISAC collaborated with the local association of Lipari (Dotteolie) in the organisation of a campaign to recover and keep clean the most remote historical and naturalistic paths of the Alicudi Island, involving local.
Laboratory studies have been conducted to characterise the original and newly developed materials: their mineral and chemical composition, physical properties, durability, etc.
Mortar formulations based on traditional materials (sand and aerial or natural hydraulic lime), recycled materials (bricks and glass), and natural additives (pinecone-derived) have been characterised, and their environmental impact estimated using life-cycle assessment techniques.
Renders from the deconstruction of a building in the Centre of France have been collected, ground, and characterised. Several washing methods have been tested to extract the original sands from the render. The extracted sands have been employed in the formulation of new mortars in order to evaluate their performance and their employability in restoration or rehabilitation works.
An exposure test of commercial mortars and mortars using formulations similar to those employed in an experimental restoration test in Oviedo has been performed in three different places: Oviedo, Cergy, and in a town of the Vexin Français. Several properties have been monitored during two years.
A four-year in-situ evaluation of fungal community dynamics on limestone surfaces in the Temple of the Warriors at the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico has been completed, focusing on cleaning and treatment using nanoparticles. The same treatments tested at Chichen Itza have been tested in Oviedo (Cathedral) and the Vexin Français (exposed samples).
Future and current climate data generated by Global Climate Models (GCMs) under the RCP8.5 scenario and different dose-response formulas were combined to quantify the impact of climatic factors and pollution on built cultural heritage.
A life cycle assessment of the restoration works in Chichen Itza has been performed. Data have been collected to dot the LCA other cases study.
The transfer of SCORE results to different publics took place during events such as the participation in the European Cultural Heritage days. During the seminar “La tradizione dei terrazzamenti: un patrimonio culturale in pericolo” (2021) in the framework of a series of evening conferences organized by Scuola di Riscostruzione di Accumoli for citizens. Summer School Envimat 2022 in Lipari, two activities specifically addressed to discovering the Aeolian Cultural Heritage, were organised. During the summer school of the Stone conference in 2025, a practical work has been organised for students in a church of the Vexin.
In April 2021, CNR-ISAC collaborated with the local association of Lipari (Dotteolie) in the organisation of a campaign to recover and keep clean the most remote historical and naturalistic paths of the Alicudi Island, involving local.
The development of new sustainable restoration materials which are efficient, durable and with low environmental impact contributes to both cultural heritage and natural environment conservation. Different kinds of materials such as consolidation materials protecting materials against biodegradation and sustainable mortars and renders for traditional buildings will be produced.
SCORE contributes to the scientific development in the cultural heritage preservation field and in the identification of sustainable methodologies applicable to restoration. Through appropriate historical-archival and field investigations SCORE proposes valorisation solutions for the conservation of vernacular cultural heritage in case studies.
The development of new dose responses functions will allow quantitatively determining future weathering of materials and the critical parameters that will control this future weathering. This knowledge will allow assessing and attenuating the weathering and to adapt cultural heritage to future conditions.
The application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to the conservation of built cultural heritage allows two research communities (conservation and LCA) to get closer and facilitate the technical and knowledge exchanges between them.
SCORE strengthens the European human capital in research and innovation by training and by the diffusion of knowledge through publications, workshops, seminars, and datasets.
SCORE is aligned with the EC priorities for 2019-24, especially the “European Green Deal” proposing resource-efficient solutions for a climate-neutral continent with “an economy that works for people”. The SCORE’s research contributes to the sequestration of the CO2 in buildings and decreases the environmental footprint of renovation and restoration works.
The technologies developed under SCORE, through the communication and dissemination actions, contributes to the development of a more sustainable society, an inclusive preservation of cultural heritage, and increase citizens awareness to cultural heritage conservation and climate change.
SCORE contributes to the scientific development in the cultural heritage preservation field and in the identification of sustainable methodologies applicable to restoration. Through appropriate historical-archival and field investigations SCORE proposes valorisation solutions for the conservation of vernacular cultural heritage in case studies.
The development of new dose responses functions will allow quantitatively determining future weathering of materials and the critical parameters that will control this future weathering. This knowledge will allow assessing and attenuating the weathering and to adapt cultural heritage to future conditions.
The application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to the conservation of built cultural heritage allows two research communities (conservation and LCA) to get closer and facilitate the technical and knowledge exchanges between them.
SCORE strengthens the European human capital in research and innovation by training and by the diffusion of knowledge through publications, workshops, seminars, and datasets.
SCORE is aligned with the EC priorities for 2019-24, especially the “European Green Deal” proposing resource-efficient solutions for a climate-neutral continent with “an economy that works for people”. The SCORE’s research contributes to the sequestration of the CO2 in buildings and decreases the environmental footprint of renovation and restoration works.
The technologies developed under SCORE, through the communication and dissemination actions, contributes to the development of a more sustainable society, an inclusive preservation of cultural heritage, and increase citizens awareness to cultural heritage conservation and climate change.