TO ELUCIDATE THE MAIN PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES CAUSING DETERIORATION OF MARBLE AND BRONZE MONUMENTS.

THE PROJECT INCLUDES A STUDY OF THE ACTION OF THE FOLLOWING AGENTS ON MONUMENTS : ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION (WET AND DRY), AIRBORNE CARBONACEOUS PARTICLES, THERMAL CYCLES, CONDENSATION - EVAPORATION CYCLES, HEAT AND MOISTURE EXCHANGES BETWEEN MONUMENT SURFACE AND ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT AND CHEMICAL REACTION ON MONUMENT SURFACES.

THE STUDY IS COMPOSED OF :

1. ANALYSIS OF THE DETERIORATION PATTERNS WHICH APPEAR PARTICULARLY INTERESTING.
THE ANALYSIS INCLUDES MINERALOGICAL OBSERVATION OF THE DETERIORATED LAYER AND FIELD CAMPAIGNS TO RECOGNIZE THE LOCAL MICROCLIMATE AND THE MAIN CHEMICO-PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ATMOSPHERE AND MONUMENT SURFACE.
2. INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF DETERIORATION MODELS.
3. TEST AND VALIDATION ON SELECTED MONUMENTS OF THE MODELS AND GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
4. SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSERVATION.

A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES WILL BE USED DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT INCLUDING CHEMICAL, MINERALOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL METHODS.