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PROJECTS |
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Executive Summary
Main Objectives:
1. To demonstrate the scientific validity of isotopic analytical investigations
and methodologies on ancient Roman mortars, for better understanding the
reason why they are so resistant to physico-chemical alteration.
2. To create an innovative database of mortar
characteristics based on the collection of all analytical data concerning
isotopic technologies in complement to the traditional ones, with the
aim of enabling us to reproduce the mortars more accurately for more authentic
preservation and restoration of ancient buildings and artefacts.
Secondary Objectives:
3. To test isotopic analytical methodologies in complement to the traditional
ones, for the identification of the provenance, decay but -above all-
the conservation processes of ancient mortars
4. to develop some innovative technologies and methodologies in the field
of isotopic analyses, which will be collected in a modern database, in
order to use them more widely for the identification of the special characteristics
of materials in ancient structures
5. Further improvement of the investigation methodologies and technologies,
which will be used with a view to a better marketing of these techniques,
as a service to archaeology, to the preservers of our cultural heritage
and to industry
6. The results and the database will be of basic importance for the industrial
applicability of ancient methods to modern ones, in terms of quality improvements.
Through the analytical investigation of ancient well preserved mortars,
the development of new products with, especially, the following characteristics:
- long term high resistance (physico-chemical and mechanical),
- optimal hydraulic performance (as in Roman cisterns)
7. To produce prototypes at laboratory scale,
of mortars based on the knowledge and data gained in the course of the
project for testing and for confirmation of the results of the research
in the project.
Brief description of the Research Project
Since it has been clearly documented that some Roman buildings are more
resistant than many modern ones, the mortars will be sampled from ancient
constructions, which were produced during the best developing period of
roman age. Because Roman mortars are made from materials found in widely
different places, it is necessary to study the mortars from different
parts of the former Roman Empire (different raw materials, different climatic
conditions, different other environmental factors, but same or similar
degree of conservation). The selected areas are characterised by very
high ecological and artistic values.
The analytical approaches are:
1. Isotopic techniques:
The analysis of isotopes in mortars is completely innovative, as well
documented by literature researches (we have found only few applications
of isotopes in the field of Cultural Heritage Preservation and nothing
for mortars characterisation). In other fields, like Hydrogeology, the
isotopic analyses even tend to replace the chemical traditional ones,
because of the quality and quantity of interpretative information. The
expected results of such analyses should improve the knowledge on the
origins of high resistant ancient mortars and give more precise basic
information about the preparation (mixing techniques, burning temperatures,...).
2. Physico-chemical and morphological characterisation of mortars (mineralogy,
physical parameters, trace elements analysis, bulk chemical analyses,
electron microscopy, I.R. and U.V. Spectroscopy, ...):
In view of a basic approach to isotope techniques, it is not possible
to proceed without the normally used techniques, which give the fundamental
information about the composition and origins of the studied materials,
as well as decay processes.
The results will be a codification system for the future production of
prototypes, which can be immediately applied to any other future project
in the field of Buildings Preservation and Restoration, as well as new
and very interesting industrial areas. The further results achieved, should
become the basis for a larger project, with the goal of new industrial
production. The ITER project is of great interest to four SMEs, which
are specialist in different fields. In order to solve their common and
complementary problems, they need the specific and fundamental knowledge
of Research Institutions.
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