- Infrared Thermography -
Provides temperature distribution and thermal behavior information of buildings and building materials using infrared radiation.
dating
morphology
technology
origin
composition
alteration
Ceramic
Mortar
Wood
Ceramic Building Materials (CBM), Mortar & Plaster, Stone
Commonly used in characterization and energy efficiency investigations of historical buildings by creating 2D or 3D ‘’temperature maps’’, which provide useful information on:
heat leakages; moisture accumulation, rising damp and deteriorated areas due to capillary rise and/or salt crystallization on masonry, floors and roofs; areas with thermal insulation defects; surface anomalies and detachments of plaster on walls, murals and frescoes indications of mould (Sargentis et al., 2009; Kordatos et al., 2013).
Usually areas with accumulated humidity or air leakage will appear blue, due to their lower temperature. Areas where warm air infi ltrates will appear yellow-white.
It is also possible to accurately locate hidden structural elements, materials added in previous restoration interventions, reinforcement structures inside masonry, as well as to observe the different types, patterns and dimensions of bricks beneath the plaster. These elements become visible after the building’s surface cools down on a sunny day (Passive Thermography).
Wood
Historic timber (e.g. wooden beams on roofs) can be investigated by IR Thermography so as to locate areas damaged by moisture, cracks, splits, knots and other flaws or factors of decay that may have aff ected a wooden beam’s structural integrity*.
Thermographic image of a Mayan building. Humidity is indicated by purple and dark blue colours, where the building materials are wet and, consequently, cooler. © INAH
IR-Thermography is a non-destructive technique which aims at examining temperature distribution on the surface of materials. It is a tool especially useful for the inspection and diagnosis of building materials by monitoring their thermal behaviour*, as it can locate damaged areas when they are not visually recognizable, demonstrate to what extent building materials have been damaged, as well as help evaluate concluded restoration interventions. Produces images where areas with the highest temperature detected are shown as the brightest parts starting from white colour, intermediate temperatures correspond to red and yellow parts, and the coolest parts go from blue to black.
accuracy
time
cost
in situ
invasive
destructive
For detection of in-depth defects and constructive phases of a building, other complementary non-destructive testing techniques, such as Ultrasonic testing, Radar, etc. are available
Infrared (IR) light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a range of wavelengths between 700 nm and 1 mm (=106 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum. All bodies – heated either naturally or artificially - emit IR radiation proportionally to their temperature. An IR Thermograph detects the IR energy emitted by the object under examination, converts it into temperature and displays it on the thermo-camera as an image of temperature distribution. This can be achieved either with Passive or with Active Thermography:
