IRT method for analyzing moisture diffusion and capillary rising damp in masonry materials

IRT thermography is often used to assess the presence of areas affected by moisture in the built heritage site. It is a NDT used especially in cultural heritage to analyze degradation caused by moisture phenomena. Crucially, it is essential to begin this analysis from the individual materials that make up the masonry, such as brick, mortar and plaster (where present). The study is then useful to recreate a curve to correlate the process of moisture diffusion in space and time in hygroscopic materials, using two experiments: absorption from rising damp and wet sponge contact, to characterize evaporation rate and moisture content. The goal is to improve the testing procedure by standardizing and normalizing the measurement of moisture content. It is therefore necessary to identify wet and dry areas in the porous material affected by moisture in the structure. In the first step, a qualitative image can be obtained by means of temperature maps and then, after data processing, a quantitative analysis of the results is drawn. The laboratory tests presented here were carried out as part of an extensive investigation of the rising damp problem in Venice, with the possibility of applying these standards in situ as well, despite the possibility of encountering greater difficulties arising from the many boundary variables (environment, structural variations).