Research results
First year scientific activites
Over the first year of the SyMBoL project the activity at NIKU has been focused on both the study of the conservation conditions of distempered paints, localizing areas in the Stave churches of Heddal, Ringebu and Kvernes where paints have been subjected over time to conservation treatments and are nowadays in bad or good conditions; and on the support to the SyMBoL coordinator for the planning phase of the long-term monitoring campaigns starting in Autumn 2019 in Heddal and Ringebu.
The GCI has been focused on analyzing the physiochemical response of distemper paint samples taken from selected stave churches. Identification of materials, and evaluation of ratio of pigment and glue, in historic samples are underway. These results will give a better understanding of the artists`s technique, and consequently help with creating compatible mock-ups for mechanical testing. Creation of these mock-ups will be further informed by analyzing moisture induced dimensional response of samples.
At NTNU the scientific activity has been focused on the study of pine wood properties throughout laboratory experiments. The possibilities offered by the Acoustic emission system in term of detection of crack formation and propagation have been checked in order to determine the best for in-situ monitoring campaigns. Additionally, tests to assess the mechanical properties of pine wood were per-formed on both naturally and artificially aged samples also checking the effect of sealing materials. Similarly, PAS was aimed at elaboration of the experimental procedure of determination of mechanical properties (fracture toughness) of wooden samples (pine), both in terms of proper time sequence and technical details including rate of moisture diffusion and geometry of samples. Apart of that sorption isotherms of various wooden samples, e.g. clear, contaminated by salts and impregnated with different types of sealants, were measured with the use of vacuum microbalance.
Scientific Dissemination
NTNU attended the 1st Virtual European Conference on Fracture (29 June – 1 July, 2020). The SyMBoL Project coordinator Prof. Chiara Bertolin presented the contribution: Acoustic Emission NDT for monitoring hygro-mechanical reactions of coated pine wood: a methodological approach (C. Bertolin, L. de Ferri, J. Razavi, P. Aalto, F. Berto).
NTNU and PAN attended the 1st Mediterranean Conference on Fracture and Structural Integrity MedFract1 (Athen, 26-28 February 2020). The SyMBoL Project coordinator Prof. Chiara Bertolin presented the contribution: Application of the Guggenheim, Anderson, de Boer (GAB) equation to sealing treatments on pine wood (C. Bertolin, L. de Ferri, M. Strojecki)
NTNU attended SHATIS’19-the 5th International Conference on on Structural Health Assessment of Timber Structures (Guimarães, 25-27 September 2019). The SyMBoL Project coordinator Prof. Chiara Bertolin presented the contribution: “Measuring Protocol in coupling tests on wood using the acoustic emission no-destructive technique” (C. Bertolin, L. de Ferri, G. Grottesi, F. Berto, P. Aalto).