Biodeterioration and weathering of three different sites of the Latin American cultural heritage

Title: Biodeterioration and weathering of three different sites of the Latin American cultural heritage
Author(s): L. K. Herrera, H. A. Videla
Paper category : conference
Book title: RILEM International Conference on Microbial Impact on Building Materials
Editor(s): M. Ribas Silva
Print-ISBN: 2-912143-43-8
e-ISBN: 2351580184
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2003
Pages: 67 - 76
Total Pages: 10
Nb references: 15
Language: English

Abstract: The close relationship between biodeterioration and weathering effects on the durability of structural materials of the cultural heritage is emphasized in this paper.
A comparative study of the relative role of atmospheric and biological impact on three different sites of Latin American cultural heritage is made comparing the deterioration of buildings located in three geographical regions of well defined atmospheric characteristics:
i) a rural atmosphere (the urban nucleus of Uxmal in the North West side of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico);
ii) a pure marine atmosphere (the fortress of Tulum at the side of the Caribbean Sea, in the North East part of the Yucatan Peninsula) and,
iii) a mixed urbanindustrial environment (the cathedral of La Plata in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina).
In the three cases, microbiological and surface analyses techniques were complemented with optical and electron microscopy and atmospheric characteristics evaluation.
A clear synergism between atmospheric and microbiological factors on the decay of structural materials was observed in all cases, although weathering influence was predominant in marine and mixed urban-industrial environments.

Online publication: 2003-07-03
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00
doi: 10.1617/2351580184.007