Ultrasound technique to assess the physical conditions of the Monument to Ramos de Azevedo, city of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents the evaluation of the conservation of the Monument to Ramos de Azevedo through a study of the ultrasound pulse velocity. The Monument to Ramos de Azevedo is of great importance for the history of the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil), because it honors the architect who was fundamental in the architectural and social development of the city. This monument was built with Itaquera Granite, a stone widely used in the cultural heritage of the city, which is more specifically called biotite monzogranite. The equipment used was the V-Meter Mark III and only P waves were used with 54 kHz transducers. Several measurements were taken on the monument and on fresh stone, and the results were compared. Results showed that the stone is in good condition even after changing locations twice because the values are very close to those of the fresh sample. The low values were attributed to internal discontinuities or biotite enclaves, the latter being very common in the Itaquera Granite.