ABSTRACT
The aim of this research is to investigate the spatio-temporal distribution of weathering phenomena in limestone in the built environment and, in particular, the spatial patterns/relationships and the identification of any scale-related discontinuities and changes in the process of decay, concentrating on recent rapid, cavernous decay of historic limestone, and possible links to improved air quality. This was achieved by using high-resolution laser-scanning technologies to capture the geometry of weathered surfaces in both controlled laboratory conditions and field-based analysis in Oxford, UK.
The laboratory weathering experiments conducted prior to any field-based data collection were used to study the efficacy of capturing stone surfaces in 3D, its accuracy/precision, and the development of geostatistical models for analysis/visualisation on real-world data sets.
In Oxford, the study concentrated on the decay of building stone in the urban environment on the external walls of Worcester College and New College. Monitoring of these sites on a regular basis allowed the calculation of denudation rates and analysis of the spatial distribution of this decay. This investigation will also help fill some ‘measurement gaps’, highlighted by Viles (2001), existing in weathering phenomena.
