| CODE | BLH5114 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Deterioration of Building and Decorative Materials | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Conservation and Built Heritage | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit deals with the deterioration of the material constituents of buildings, sculpture, wall paintings and other decorative architectural surfaces. The materials to be studied will include different lithotypes and other building materials, mortars and plasters, coatings, pigments, binders and varnishes. These materials will be studied within the context of the whole building, including also deterioration factors affecting the building/site/object. To be tackled are deterioration problems, starting from the identification of deterioration phenomena concerning both the decorative architectural surfaces as well as the building, to the identification of the causes of deterioration (i.e. anthropic and environmental causes of deterioration, causes inherent to the materials and techniques used to produce these decorations). The processes and mechanisms of deterioration will also be tackled. Case studies will be described and discussed. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims at providing the students with knowledge of the deterioration of the materials used for the manufacture of decorative architectural surfaces and their supports, with emphasis on the Mediterranean context. It also aims at providing broad-based information for the study of the products of the deterioration of building materials. Achieving a deep understanding of deterioration causes, effects and mechanisms will be another aim of this study-unit. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate a sound understanding of the deterioration of materials used to manufacture decorative architectural surfaces; - Clearly and simply describe different deterioration mechanisms; - Explain the degradation of building and decorative materials in terms of the chemistry and physics involved. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Recognise and understand deterioration phenomena and patterns, and represent them in graphic form; - Plan the necessary steps to investigate and identify deterioration mechanisms; - Deduce from visual observations together with appropriate analysis the correct deterioration mechanism at work in specific cases. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Essential reading: - Ashurst J., 1983. Mortars, Plasters and Renders in Conservation: A Basic Guide. EASA. - Caneva, G, Nugari, M P, Salvadori, O. 1991. Biology in the conservation of works of art. International - Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property. - Caneva, G, Nugari, M. P., Salvadori, O. (eds) 2008. Plant biology for cultural heritage: biodeterioration and conservation. Getty Conservation Institute. 2008. - Cassar J., 2002. "Deterioration of the Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese Islands." In: Siegesmund, S., - Weiss, T. and Vollbrecht A. Natural Stone, Weathering Phenomena, Conservation Strategies and Case Studies. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 205, pp. 33-49. - Gettens, R J and Stout G L. 1966. Painting Materials - a short encyclopaedia. Dover Publications. - Siegesmund S and Snethlage R (eds) Stone in Architecture: Properties, Durability. (4th ed) 2011. Springer. - Warscheid, Th Braams, J. 2001 Biodeterioration of stone: a review. Additional Reading: - Ashurst J., and Dimes, F. G. 1990. Conservation of Building and Decorative Stone. Butterworth-Heinemann. - Brimblecombe P. (ed) 2015. Urban Pollution and Changes to Materials and Building Surfaces. Imperial College Press. - Cassar J. 2004. “Composition and property data of Malta’s building stone for the construction of a database.” In: Architectural and sculptural stone in cultural landscape. Prikryl, R., and Siegl, P. (eds) pp. 11-28. - Cassar, J., Winter, M.G., Marker, B.R., Walton, N.R.G., Entwisle, D.C. & Bromhead, E. N. and Smith, J. W. N. (eds) 2014, SP391 Stone in Historic Buildings: Characterization and Performance, Geological Society, London. - Cowper A.D. 1927 (reprinted 1998). Lime and Lime Mortars. Donhead. - Feller R. L. (ed), 1986. Artists' Pigments, Vol 1, Cambridge University Press. - ICOMOS-ISCS Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns. 2008. English-French version. (Available as pdf at http://www.icomos.org/publications/monuments_and_sites/15/pdf/Monuments_and_Sites_15_ISCS_Glossary_Stone.pdf) - Massari G. and I. 1993. Damp Buildings Old and New. ICCROM. - Torraca G. 2009. Lectures on Materials Science for Architectural Conservation. The Getty Conservation Institute. - Weyer A et al (eds) 2015. Ewaglos : European illustrated glossary of conservation terms for wall paintings and architectural surfaces. M Imhof Verlag (pdf version available at EwaGlos-Website: http://www.ewaglos.eu/pages/download.php) |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Blended Learning | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Mark Azzopardi Ruben Paul Borg Jo Ann Cassar Chiara Ciantelli Roberta De Angelis (Co-ord.) Barbara Lubelli Stephanie Sammut Daniel Vella Tano Zammit |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||