ABSTRACT
Masonry materials are likely to be affected by alteration phenomena with either a natural or anthropogenic origin. As a consequence of alteration phenomena, damage may appear, affecting the quality of the materials. Within this framework, technicians engaged in the maintenance and restoration of structures use specific treatments which are designed to restore material characteristics. Consolidation treatments are often suggested for the restoration of historical buildings. The selection of the most appropriate product to guarantee the durability of the operation is a real challenge. Both illustrations show the feasibility of the scratching tomography method. It may be applied on any type of historical building materials. The chapter illustrates the potentiality of the scratching tomography methodology, and the possibility of this new methodology to provide scientific arguments for the selection of an adequate treatment to consolidate historical building materials. It shows that the scratching tomography methodology has been applied on fresh blocks of stone coming from a quarry.
