Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T04:45:36.023Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Scanning Electron Microscopy Studies of Neoformations on Stony Materials of Modern Building Works

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2013

Carlos Alves
Carlos Alves*
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigação Geológica, Ordenamento e Valorização de Recursos, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
*
*E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The built environment is subjected to several pollutants under variable environmental conditions defined by diverse geochemical systems. These geochemical systems promote the occurrence of neoformations that can have a detrimental effect on surfaces of the building materials. Hence, the study of neoformations helps in the understanding of weathering processes that affect built structures. In the present paper we present a scanning electron microscopy study of macroscopic manifestations of neoformations detected during an extensive visual survey of several modern architectural works in urban areas of northern and central Portugal. The studies performed suggest that cementitious materials play an important role as a source of pollutants for the most common neoformations such as carbonate rich stains and coatings, as well as salt efflorescences of alkaline sulphates and carbonates. There are also indications of contributions from organic sources for alkaline nitrates and atmospheric pollution for gypsum-rich black crusts. Other less common neoformations include phosphate aggregates and silica stains that represent interesting indicators of the geochemical systems in built environments. In the case of carbonate-rich coatings, indications of recurrence related to the circulation of carbonate forming solutions relevant to the maintenance of built surfaces were detected.

Keywords

modern built environmentgeochemical systemsweathering products typologysalt efflorescencescoatings and stainserosive featuresvisual depreciationbuilt surface maintenanceenvironmental monitoring
Type
Portuguese Society for Microscopy
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 19 , Issue 5 , October 2013 , pp. 1241 - 1247
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alves, C. (2009). Old salts in modern constructions. In 3rd International Conference on Integrity, Reliability & Failure, Silva Gomes, J.F. & Meguid, S.A. (Eds.), CD-ROM Publication. Porto: FEUP.Google Scholar
Alves, C. (2010). “White” crusts on recent buildings. Mater Sci Forum 636–637, 1300–1305.Google Scholar
Alves, C. (2013). Geochemistry of the built environment: Alteration products of stony materials. In Advances in Geochemistry Research, Sanjurjo-Sánchez, J. (Ed.), pp. 27–58. New York: Nova Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Alves, C., Figueiredo, C., Maurício, A., Figueiredo, P. & Aires-Barros, L. (2012). Performance of stones under different conditions: A study of metro stations. Mater Sci Forum 730–732, 474–479.Google Scholar
Alves, C. & Sanjurjo-Sánchez, J. (2011). Geoscience of the built environment: Pollutants and materials surfaces. Geosciences 1, 26–43.Google Scholar
Arnold, A. & Zehnder, K. (1991). Monitoring wall paintings affected by soluble salts. In The Conservation of Wall Paintings, Cather, S. (Ed.), pp. 103–135. Los Angeles, CA: Getty Conservation Institute.Google Scholar
Begonha, A. (2009). Mineralogical study of the deterioration of granite stones of two Portuguese churches and characterization of the salt solutions in the porous network by the presence of diatoms. Mater Charact 60, 621–635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brick Industry Association (BIA) (2006). Stains—identification and prevention. Technical Notes on Brick Construction 23; http://www.ambrico.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/TN23.pdf.Google Scholar
Demirbaş, A. (1996). Optimizing the physical and technological properties of cement additives in concrete mixtures. Cement Concr Res 26, 1737–1744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dow, C. & Glasser, F.P. (2003). Calcium carbonate efflorescence on Portland cement and building materials. Cement Concr Res 33, 147–154.Google Scholar
Faucon, P., Adenot, F., Jorda, M. & Cabrillac, R. (1997). Behaviour of crystallised phases of Portland cement upon water attack. Mater Struct 30, 480–485.Google Scholar
Figg, J., Moore, A.E. & Gutteridge, W.A. (1976). On the occurrence of the mineral trona (Na2CO3·NaHCO3*2H2O) in concrete deterioration products. Cement Concr Res 6, 691–696.Google Scholar
Figg, J., Moore, A.E. & Gutteridge, W.A. (1978). A reply to Halle's et al. discussion of the paper “on the occurrence of the mineral trona (Na2CO3·NaHCO3*2H2O) in concrete deterioration products.” Cement Concr Res 8, 255.Google Scholar
Halle, R., Carin, V., Hvala, M. & Crnkovic, B. (1978). Discussion of the paper “On the occurrence of the mineral trona (Na2CO3·NaHCO3*2H2O) in concrete deterioration products.” Cement Concr Res 8, 251–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hosono, T., Uchida, E., Suda, C., Ueno, A. & Nakagawa, T. (2006). Salt weathering of sandstone at the Angkor monuments, Cambodia: Identification of the origins of salts using sulfur and strontium isotopes. J Archaeol Sci 33, 1541–1551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klemm, W. & Siedel, H. (2002). Evaluation of the origin of sulphate compounds in building stone by sulphur isotope ratio. In Natural Stone, Weathering Phenomena, Conservation Strategies and Case Studies, Siegesmund, S., Weiss, T. & Vollbrecht, A. (Eds.), pp. 419–429. London: Geological Society of London.Google Scholar
Lea, F.M. (1970). The Chemistry of Cement and Concrete. London: E. Arnold Publishing Ltd. Google Scholar
Liu, Z. & He, D. (1998). Special speleothems in cement-grouting tunnels and their implications of the atmospheric CO2 sink. Environ Geol 35, 258–262.Google Scholar
Macphee, D. & Lachowski, E. (1998). Cement components and their phase relations. In Lea's Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, Hewlett, P. (Ed.), pp. 95–129. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinmann.Google Scholar
Moropoulou, A., Bisbikou, K., Torfs, K., Vangrieken, R., Zezza, F. & Macri, F. (1998). Origin and growth of weathering crusts on ancient marbles in industrial atmosphere. Atmosph Environ 32, 967–982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Odler, I. (1998). Hydration, setting and hardening of portland cement. In Lea's Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, Hewlett, P. (Ed.), pp. 241–297. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinmann.Google Scholar
Ostrooumov, M. (2009). A Raman, IR and XRD analysis of the deterioration on historical monuments: Case study from Mexico. Spectrochim Acta A 73, 498–504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Polikreti, K. & Maniatis, Y. (2003). Micromorphology, composition and origin of the orange patina on the marble surfaces of Propylaea (Acropolis, Athens). Sci Total Environ 308, 111–119.Google Scholar
Russell, P. (1983). Efflorescence and the Discoloration of Concrete. Surrey, UK: Viewpoint Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanjurjo-Sánchez, J. & Alves, C. (2012). Pollutant-induced decay of building materials. In Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World, Lichtfouse, E., Schwarzbauer, J. & Robert, D. (Eds.), pp. 47–120. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanjurjo-Sánchez, J., Vidal Romaní, J.R. & Alves, C. (2012). Comparative analysis of coatings on granitic substrates from urban and natural settings (NW Spain). Geomorphology 138, 231–242.Google Scholar
Torfs, K.M., Van Grieken, R.E. & Buzek, F. (1997). Use of stable isotope measurements to evaluate the origin of sulfur in gypsum layers on limestone buildings. Environ Sci Technol 31, 2650–2655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar