Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding capabilities:
At the end of the course, the student will have a wide and critical view on the methods and techniques for the knowledge of construction materials and of its decay and conservation status.
Proficiency:
At the end of the course the student will be able to identify all the material and pathological aspects which characterize a surface of an historical building and to assume as a base for the design of its restoration.
Independent judgment:
The student will have to develop the capability of evaluating critically the conservation status of a historical building, identifying the most suitable techniques for the specific case, looking for an equilibrium between conservation, safety and functionality.
Communication skills:
During the course, the student will improve its correctness of speech, with specific reference to the technical terms of restoration, in order to communicate in an effective and precise way a restoration design.
Learning ability:
The materials and the techniques for the surface restoration of historical building change continuously. Therefore the student must be able to select, once the problem has been identified, the most suitable intervention, even evaluating options not specifically explained during the course.
Prerequisites
It is helpful if students have attended the Restoration course, as the base knowledge of restoration theories and of historical building elements are taken for granted during the course.
It is also useful to have some knowledge of computer aided design (e.g. Autocad), spreadsheet (e.g. Excel) and multimedia presentations (e.g. Powerpoint).
Course unit content
The course is organized in two parts: a theoretical one and an applied one.
The theoretical part is focused on the following subjects:
1. Characterization of stones.
2. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of stones.
3. Characterization of ceramic materials.
4. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of ceramic materials.
5. Characterization of lime mortars and plaster.
6. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of mortars and plaster.
7. Conservation Project: Mapping of deteriorations and conservation project.
8. Artificial stone and concrete.
9. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of reinforced concrete.
10. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of the wooden elements and metal.
11. Economic evaluation of the conservation project.
The applied part foresees the restoration and conservation of the surface of a real historical building.
In the first period, the students will make surveys (divided in groups) on their case studies, in order to acquire the knowledge level needed to define the interventions, later designed in detail.
Full programme
1. Characterization of stones.
Stones and their use in architecture.
Classification of minerals and rocks: r. magmatic, r. metamorphic, r. sedimentary rocks.
Criteria for use of stones in building construction.
Processing and features of the stones, with reference to the historical manuals.
2. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of stones.
Alteration phenomena of natural stone and UNI Normal classification of their decay.
Analytical techniques for the characterization of materials and weathering products.
Indication for cleaning and preservation of stone surfaces.
3. Characterization of ceramic materials.
Composition of the ceramic materials.
Methods of molding, drying and firing.
Defects and impurities introduced during production.
Use of ceramic materials in architecture.
4. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of ceramic materials.
Alteration and degradation of ceramic materials.
Methods of cleaning and preservation of ceramic elements.
5. Characterization of lime mortars and plaster.
Production cycle of the lime.
Composition and the recipes of old mortars.
XIX sec., introduction of the cementitious mortars.
Plaster: composition and use.
Fresco technique.
Natural and artificial pigments.
6. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of mortars and plaster.
Problems of compatibility and decay.
Conservation and restoration of deteriorated mortar.
Degradation and conservation of frescos and plaster.
7. Conservation Project: Mapping of deteriorations and conservation project.
Presentation of the conservation project.
Indications for conservative project.
8. Artificial stone and concrete.
Use of decorative cements in architecture.
Composition of the dough and recipes.
Production techniques.
9. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of reinforced concrete.
Decay and preservation.
Deterioration in reinforced concrete structures: phenomenology, diagnosis, possible remedies.
10. Analysis of deterioration and conservation techniques of the wooden elements and metal.
Nature and alteration processes of the wood.
Methods of analysis and preservation of the wooden elements.
Degradation processes of metals.
Compatibility and preservation of the metallic elements.
11. Economic evaluation of the conservation project.
Drafting of the bill of quantities relating to the conservation project of the surfaces of the building.
Bibliography
Suggested books:
- AA.VV, Manuale del Restauro Architettonico, Mancosu editore.
- Lazzarini L., Laurenzi Tabasso M., Il restauro della pietra, UTET.
- Pedemonte E., Fornari G., Chimica e restauro. La scienza dei materiali per l’architettura, Marsilio, Venezia 2003.
- Musso S., Recupero e restauro degli edifici storici, EPC ed.
More didactic material (AVAILABLE ON THE COURSE’S WEB SITE):
- Course slides
- Price List of Emilia-Romagna Region
Teaching methods
The course is composed of traditional lectures (taught class), also with Powerpoint presentations.
During the course, also some seminars with external lecturers will be held, to inspect more deeply specific issues.
For the applied part, the students will be divided in groups (3 to 5 people). Each group will develop a surface restoration design on a real historical building and will be followed by the teacher with periodic reviews. The reviews are made in groups, on printed material prepared by the students.
At the middle of the course and at the end, the printed material must be handed down to the teacher.
Moreover, during the course there will be two collective reviews, one at the end of the knowledge path and one at the end of the course: in these occasions, each group will present (with Powerpoint or similar) its own work progress to the teacher and to the other students. These occasions are important both to exercise the communication skills of the students and to exchange and compare experiences among the different groups.
Assessment methods and criteria
During the course, the students will have to hand down their work twice to the teacher, in order to check and possibly correct the design process: one at the end of the knowledge phase and one at the end of the course.
Moreover, the two collective reviews, with public presentation of the designs, will allow a first evaluation of the correctness of speech and of the communicative skills.
These intermediate checks, although are not directly linked to the final grades, are in any case fundamental to demonstrate the profitable attendance to the course.
The single module has no autonomous judgment, but the learning assessment will be made altogether in the final exam of the Laboratory of Conservation and Restoration, oral and test, and consists of:
Discussion of the restoration design (by group)
- 1/3 of the overall grades.
Oral and test examination on the theoretical part of the program:
- Theoretical strengthening aspects (module of Restoration and Strengthening): 1/3 of the overall grades;
- Test on theoretical materials conservation aspects (module of Lithology and Geology for Architecture): 1/3 of the overall grades.
To pass the exam each of the three parts must receive a positive judgment.
Other information
As for all the laboratories, attending the courses is compulsory.
