Cultural heritage diagnostics

Diagnostics in the field of cultural heritage requires specific instruments and complex calculations developed to analyze the state of conservation of the materials in depth.

In the last years, several cultural heritage diagnostic tools have been developed by specialized companies, together with research institutes and Universities: among these, SINT Technology has built the DRMS Cordless (Drilling Resistance Measurement System).

This instrument is designed to measure the drilling resistance of stone materials like marbles, and other natural stones and construction materials like mortars and bricks.

Diagnostics and preservation of cultural heritage are truly important to determine the state of conservation of historical monuments and buildings and for their enhancement: the DRMS Cordless is frequently used to evaluate the resistance of construction materials in cultural heritage, especially before and after materials treatments.

The system, in fact, allows both laboratory tests and on-site measurements: cultural heritage diagnostics is a specific on-site field of application. The portability and light weight (approx. 5 kg.) of DRMS makes it possible to carry out measurements in different directions and also in hard-access zones.

In detail, the diagnostics of cultural heritage includes several tasks such as the evaluation of the deterioration of monuments and of historical environments, the assessment of the suitability of the products used for the restoration, and the preservation and maintenance of cultural heritage.

The DRMS Cordless is used in particular to verify the effectiveness of consolidation interventions done by injecting chemical products into materials, and by detecting the state of their deterioration before and after the application of these products.

Drilling Resistance tests with DRMS Cordless have been realized at Florence Dome and Santa Croce; Leaning Tower (Pisa); English cemetery (Florence); Parthenon (Athens); Trondheim Cathedral and additional sites.