Mortar Materials in Building Conservation

Dear Colleagues,

In historic buildings, mortar materials represent the most important composite influencing their sustainability, but at the same time they are also a material carrying valuable information and significant heritage values. Sustainability research on mortar materials must study the mechanisms of their degradation and develop technologies to prevent their destruction. Climate change causes more frequent hazardous situations accompanied by extraordinary demands on the behaviour of mortar materials when they are saturated with water and subjected to repeated alternating mechanical or temperature cycles, including fires. With the onset of more intense weather conditions, it is important to learn about the durability and life cycles of conservation materials and processes that save degrading mortar materials. A persistent problem is the determination of the compatibility limits of changes in the material properties of treated materials and the methods of their testing. At the same time, we must not forget the effects of the application of these new technologies and materials on the environment and, in particular, on the health of restorers and residents. Mortar materials not only carry the monumental values of works of art on their surface, but also contain hidden information that can be revealed by scientific methods. These include, for example, the determination of the age of the material from the time of production, the determination of the provenance of the components, including the raw material, and the technological traces of production and construction, e.g., formwork fingerprints. The results of basic and applied research in these areas are welcome to be contributed to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Miloš Drdácký
Prof. Maria Stefanidou
Guest Editors

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