Recession rate of carbonate rocks used in cultural heritage: Textural control assessed by accelerated ageing tests

A key finding from this study is that the recession rate of carbonate stones, which are prevalent in northeastern Italy's cultural heritage, varies significantly based on their textural features and mineralogical composition. Researchers subjected eleven types of carbonate stones to accelerated ageing tests simulating rainfall with different pH levels (pH ∼ 7 for Bologna and pH ∼ 6 for Stresa). Using confocal microscopy, they observed that differential recession is closely tied to calcite grain size, allowing them to define correction coefficients for more precise recession rate calculations. This method offers a rapid way to estimate future stone deterioration under specific environmental conditions, aiding in the evaluation of risk-based protection measures for historical structures.

Salvini, S., Bertoncello, R., Coletti, C., Germinario, L., Maritan, L., Massironi, M., Pozzobon, R., & Mazzoli, C. (2022). Recession rate of carbonate rocks used in cultural heritage: Textural control assessed by accelerated ageing tests. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 57, 154–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2022.08.010