D4.3 Analysis of microclimatic time series and assessment of systematic deviation from local time series required as input in the hygrothermal simulations

Deliverable D4.3 presents the work of research and technical development for designing a novel method for monitoring and predicting material decay in cultural heritage. It focuses on the microclimate and climate factors affecting the weathering of stone and timber used as building materials in diverse environmental settings. An apparatus for long-term field exposure tests was expressly designed in its hardware and software components. That supports the monitoring of the microclimate characteristics of selected stone and wood samples, installed in Italy and Norway at different orientations. The data series of surface temperature and humidity measured on the sample surfaces are to be compared with other microclimate and climate datasets recorded at different scales and from different sources and equipment (“smart tags”, weather stations, and regional stations of environmental monitoring). In such a way, the differences between standard climate time series and microclimate series at the scale of both the whole buildings and their discrete component materials can be determined. A correlation is also established between the environmental settings and the material properties and durability. In fact, the apparatus is also designed for the quantification of natural ageing. A series of preliminary laboratory analyses (colorimetry, profilometry, and μ-XRF) were conducted for measuring sample color, surface topography, and chemical composition. The relevant datasets are to be compared with the results of the same analyses repeated in the next years, so to verify changes in material properties and reconstruct the relevant deterioration trends. The results will feed the HT Simulator Tool and will constantly update the HRAP platform, supporting the modelling of the decay and assessment of the vulnerability of historical building materials, to the benefit of the scholars and stakeholders involved in the protection of cultural heritage from environmental stresses and climate change.