Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE BLH5510

 
TITLE Causes and Processes of Deterioration 2: Decorative Architectural Surfaces

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Conservation and Built Heritage

 
DESCRIPTION This unit focuses on the deterioration of the material constituents of decorative architectural surfaces, including buildings, wall paintings, plaster reliefs, stone supports.

The degradation of such materials will be studied within the context of the complex stratigraphy of a decorative architectural surface, including deterioration factors affecting the building / site / archaeological site.

Deterioration problems will be tackled starting from the identification of deterioration phenomena, to the identification of the causes of deterioration (i.e. anthropic and environmental causes of deterioration, causes inherent to the materials and techniques used to produce these decorations). The processes and mechanisms of deterioration will be discussed.

The condition assessment specific to decorative architectural surfaces will be explained in depth. Case studies will be presented and discussed.

This unit will concentrate on (but will be not limited to) deterioration of pigments in alkaline environment, deterioration of mortars and plasters, salts and salt cycles, biodeterioration, and will include a in-depth analysis of topics seen in 'Causes and Processes of Deterioration 1' with a focus on decorative architectural surfaces, with the presentation of specific case studies.

Study-unit Aims:

- Provide knowledge of the deterioration of materials used for the manufacture of decorative architectural surfaces;
- Provide broad-based information for the study of the products of the deterioration of materials used for the manufacture of decorative architectural surfaces;
- Achieve an understanding of deterioration causes, effects and mechanisms specific to decorative architectural surfaces.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe the deterioration mechanisms of materials used to manufacture decorative architectural surfaces and specific to them with an in depth understanding of the processes;
- Explain the degradation of such materials in terms of the chemistry and physics involved differentiating them, if the case, from those of other works of art;
- Critically discuss how the deterioration of such materials in the stratigraphy of decorative architectural surfaces affects the overall deterioration of the painting / building / site.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Recognise deterioration phenomena and patterns in a specific case study relating them to what affects decorative architectural surfaces;
- Plan the necessary steps to investigate and identify deterioration mechanisms specific to decorative architectural surfaces;
- Plan conservation measures (preventive or remedial) according to the type of deterioration encountered in a specific case study, looking at the specific decorative architectural surface but also at the building / site as a whole, with a holistic approach.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Essential readings:
- Ashurst J. and Dimes, F. G. 1990. Conservation of Building and Decorative Stone. Butterworth-Heinemann
- Arnold, A., & Zehnder, K. (1987). Monitoring wall paintings affected by soluble salts (pp. 103-135). Marina Del Rey: Getty Conservation Institute.
(Available on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Konrad-Zehnder/publication/285316037_Monitoring_wall_paintings_affected_by_soluble_salts/links/57d2bd9d08ae5f03b48ccc3d/Monitoring-wall-paintings-affected-by-soluble-salts.pdf)
- Charola, A. E., & Bläuer, C. (2015). Salts in masonry: an overview of the problem. Restoration of Buildings and Monuments, 21(4-6), 119-135.
(Available at https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/28009/Charola&Bl%C3%83%C2%A4uer%20%20Salts%20in%20Masonry%20RBM%202015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)
- Nevin, A. (2018). Pigment alteration. The encyclopedia of archaeological sciences, 1-4.
(Available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Austin-Nevin/publication/329438097_Pigment_Alteration/links/5c5d209b92851c48a9c19a3a/Pigment-Alteration.pdf)
- Saunders, D., & Kirby, J. (2004). The effect of relative humidity on artists' pigments. National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 25, 62-72. (Available at
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/42616177.pdf?casa_token=QrTG7ZzqDzEAAAAA:R-9o6AbO2zauwMNKPUh2IwulWJb5tsUsFIXCVEKh42GyDs3KfbyxueYAgxhWO5hvBIlkjnT1EKP9PFlrSTetyaiug17ginGESzHr-weP270Dq2EJAX4)
- Sotiropoulou, S., Sciutto, G., Tenorio, A. L., Mazurek, J., Bonaduce, I., Prati, S., ... & Colombini, M. P. (2018). Advanced analytical investigation on degradation markers in wall paintings. Microchemical Journal, 139, 278-294.

Further readings:
- Cassar J., 2002. "Deterioration of the Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese Islands." In: Siegesmund, S., Weiss, T. and Vollbrecht A. Natural Stone, Weathering Phenomena, Conservation Strategies and Case Studies. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 205, pp. 33-49
- Kotulanová, E., Bezdička, P., Hradil, D., Hradilová, J., Švarcová, S., & Grygar, T. (2009). Degradation of lead-based pigments by salt solutions. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 10(3), 367-378.
(Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207409000533?casa_token=8evb8IeSFF4AAAAA:2wuJAi2DKbSj7Oi0w9KJt-q4MIDEE1BaT6azW7R0QadIsUoU5VqumXrFGgx-XSduietC-SPYCQ)
- Bläuer, C., & Rousset, B. (2014, October). Salt sources revisited. In 3rd Int, Conf. Salt weathering of buildings and stone statues. Brussels: KIK-IRPA (pp. 305-18).
(Available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christine-Blaeuer/publication/267438471_Salt_sources_revisited/links/55815c4308ae47061e5fa005/Salt-sources-revisited.pdf)

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite Study-unit: BLH5506

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Fieldwork

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Oral and Written Exercises SEM2 Yes 30%
Assignment SEM2 Yes 70%

 
LECTURER/S Damian Lizun
Stefan Laue
Roberta De Angelis
Natalia Gustavson
Klass Jan Van Den Berg
Daniel Vella

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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