Limestone in the built environment : present-day challenges for the preservation of the past

Abstract

Limestone is a very successful and widely used building material, found in many important historic buildings and new monuments around the world. While its success reflects its durability in a variety of environmental conditions, there are still important questions surrounding the selection, use and preservation of limestone. To best utilize new limestone today and most effectively preserve old limestone, we must adopt modern research methods to understand the properties of different limestones, which mortars to use, and how important limestones may respond to polluted atmospheres. This volume brings together current interdisciplinary research on these topics and illustrates the variety of innovative techniques now being used to advance our understanding of limestones.