Crystallization Cycles in Masonry Walls: Experimental Technique to Develop Accelerated Aging on a Real Scale

Moisture in historic built heritage is one of the main degenerative agents, because it supports or manifests itself through multiple pathologies. Current knowledge allows for the diagnosis and assessment of the problem, but there are deficiencies in the evaluation of corrective systems due to the time it takes for moisture to become significant. In response, this study proposes an experimental methodology that aims to reproduce the accelerated aging of real scale specimens under laboratory conditions. Thereby improving the understanding of the impact of moisture related deterioration on masonry structures. To achive this, eight masonry walls were constructed and subjected to eight cycles of sulfate crystallization. They were saturated with different sulfate concentrations (5% or 10%) and exposed to different drying conditions (outdoor or solar dehydrator) in order to identify the factors favoring sulfate crystallization and the resulting deterioration. The progress of the experiments was monitored using a hygrometer, a thermographic camera and photogrammetry. The results indicate that it is possible to induce efflorescence in real scale specimens. Temperature and moisture monitoring helped identify the solar dehydrator as a more effective drying treatment. While digital photogrammetry was considered inefficient for quantifying volumetric damage, since this technique can present errors greater than 2%, a value exceeding the observed wear. Reason why the weight of material detached at the end of the experiment was recorded and a positive correlation between the increase in sulfate concentration and the use of the dehydrator was observed. Finally, pertinent considerations are made to improve the experimental conditions.