The conservation of cultural heritage is a major commitment for all countries around the world, since it is a complex task and a matter of great responsibility. Amongst other sectors of society, science has a contribution to make to heritage preservation. This book is the result of the international conference “Heritage, Weathering and Conservation” (HWC2006), held in Madrid, Spain in 2006. It brought together prominent scientists and professionals from a variety of disciplines who have been active in the field and have raised the profile of heritage preservation. The main aspects addressed at this conference were those related to the causes of decay of cultural materials (stone, ceramics, metals, paintings, mortars, timber, adobes, etc); the characterization of their properties and the assessment of analytical techniques for their study, with a focus on non-destructive techniques. Many of the studies stress the importance of salt crystallization, atmospheric pollution and biodeterioration and relate these specific factors to decay. A variety of case studies are included, as well as an examination of policies and management. This book will be useful to professionals and scientists working in a variety of fields related to heritage: geologists, geographers, chemists, physicists, biologists, architects, engineers, restorers, historians, archaeologists, policy makers and the general public.

The successful preservation of an historic building, complex or city depends on the continued use and daily care that come with it. The possibility of continued use depends on the adaptation of the building to modern standards and practice of living, requiring changes in constructional or structural features. Conservation engineering is the process

This latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.

One distinct feature of human society since the dawn of civilization is the systematic use of inorganic building materials, such as natural stone, unburnt and burnt soil, adobe and brick, inorganic binders like lime and cement, and reinforced concrete. Our heritage has cultural, architectural and technological value and preserving such structures is a key issue today. Planners and conservation scientists need detailed site surveys and analyses to create a database that will serve to guide subsequent actions. One factor in this knowledge base is an understanding of how historic materials were prepared and the crucial properties that influence their long-term behaviour. Any assessment of the way such materials perform must crucially be based on an understanding of the methods used for their analysis. The editors here add to the knowledge base treating the materials used in historic structures, their properties, technology of use and conservation, and their performance in a changing environment. The book draws together 18 chapters dealing with the inorganic materials used in historic structures, such as adobe, brick, stone, mortars, concrete and plasters. The approach is complex, covering material characterisation as well as several case studies of historic structures from Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia and Spain, and the My Sõn Temples in Vietnam. An equally important component of the book covers the analysis of materials, together with a treatment of sustainable development, such as the protection of monuments from earthquakes and climate change. The authors are all leading international experts, drawn from a variety of backgrounds: architecture, civil engineering, conservation science, geology and material science, with close links to professional organisations such as ICOMOS or universities and research centres throughout Europe. Audience: This book will be of interest to geologists, engineers, restorers, consulting engineers, designers and other professionals dealing with cultural heritage and sustainable development. Also graduate students in applied geo-science (mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology), architecture and civil engineering will find interesting information in this book.

Microclimate for Cultural Heritage: Measurement, Risk Assessment, Conservation, Restoration, and Maintenance of Indoor and Outdoor Monuments, Third Edition, presents the latest on microclimates, environmental issues and the conservation of cultural heritage. It is a useful treatise on microphysics, acting as a practical handbook for conservators and specialists in physics, chemistry, architecture, engineering, geology and biology who focus on environmental issues and the conservation of works of art. It fills a gap between the application of atmospheric sciences, like the thermodynamic processes of clouds and dynamics of planetary boundary layer, and their application to a monument surface or a room within a museum. Sections covers applied theory, environmental issues and conservation, practical utilization, along with suggestions, examples, common issues and errors. - Connects theory to practice with clear illustrations, useful examples, and case studies - Covers practical issues, e.g. rising damp, moulds, and pests, indoor heating, thermal comfort, green lighting technology, performing field surveys - Presents the latest standards for measuring cultural assets and their environment - Discusses climate change and indoor - outdoor potential scenarios, including sea-level rise

This latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.

This bestselling book has been fully revised and updated to include valuable new case studies and examples which help to demonstrate the common problems found in older buildings. It features many additional photographs illustrating the decay mechanims and individual issues associated with damp, timber decay, masonry defects, roofing problems and many other aspects. The book begins by summarizing the basics of surveying practice, including the inspection, assessment, defect diagnosis and monitoring of defects. It then examines the building elements, discussing their construction, typical faults and their diagnoses. This section provides specific advice on assessing industrial monuments and features concise inspection checklists for ease of reference. In the final section, the author looks to the future, considering the specific challenges faced by property professionals when employed to survey historic buildings. The book is accompanied by comprehensive appendices, including sample survey forms, and a list of useful contacts is followed by an extensive bibliography. This book will be of particular interest to conservation officers, surveyors, architects, archaeologists and planners.

Natural stone is considered to be a versatile, durable and aesthetically pleasing building material. From the beginning of civilization, important structures and monuments have been built from, or based on, natural stone. Until the end of the nineteenth century, the use of local stone re-sources was mostly in balance with the local environment. Strict environ-mental legislation has resulted in the closing of many long-standing quar-ries in industrialized countries, which has led to a shortage of traditional stone varieties. This has caused problems for restoration practice. Cheap, imported stone from less industrialized countries has become more widely available in recent years. Some of the issues related to built stone conservation and restoration cov-ered by this volume are: the establishment of inventories of possible re-placement stones; understanding the decay mechanism and use of preven-tive conservation methods for slowing down decay processes; evaluation of the properties of natural stone; and assessing the risks of using replacement stones of different qualities.

The First Edition of the Encyclopedia of Microbiology was hailed by leading scientists and researchers around the world as "excellent," "outstanding," and "impressive." This Second Edition will serve as an up-to-date version of this reference which has been useful to academic, industrial, and personal libraries for years. The Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Second Edition both challenges and stimulates the reader, and illustrates the importance of microbiology, a field that cannot be over emphasized in this booming biotechnology age. Key Features * Completely redesigned and revised approach with 65% new material * Contains approximately 300 articles, 1000 illustrations, and 400 tables * New design includes thematic table of contents, combined glossary of terms, and appendix * Provides color plate sections in each volume * 17 subject areas, including exciting coverage of microbes in extreme environments and microbes in emerging infections

Limestone is a highly successful and widely used building material, found in many important historic buildings and new monuments around the world. Whilst its success reflects its durability under a wide range of environmental conditions, there are still important questions surrounding the selection, use and conservation of build-ing limestones. In order to make best use of new limestone today, and to conserve old limestone most effectively, we need to bring modern research methods to bear on understanding the characteris-tics of different limestones, what mortars to use, and how key lime-stones have responded to polluted atmospheres. This volume brings together recent inter-disciplinary research on these issues, illustrating the diversity of innovative techniques that are now be-ing applied to furthering our understanding of building limestones.