ABSTRACT

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to isolate the contribution of long-term alteration to building damage because of a lack of control on the wide range of variables that can affect decay. For example, many cities have grown slowly and the building stock can encompass a large age range. Similarly, building stones are invariably chosen for their perceived durability and decay can take many hundreds of years before it is manifest. Over this period local environmental and pollution conditions can vary dramatically and it is normal for stonework to accumulate a complex, age-related stress history that makes comparisons between buildings very difficult. One location where such a study might, however, be possible is the city of Belfast.