In this volume scientists from different disciplines present their experience and their scientific work in progress. These concern the properties of a series of stones that have been used for the erection of some of the most important stone monuments of international cultural heritage and are also used today for substitution of missing parts or completion of damaged ones. It deals with the subject globally and contains unpublished research results.

Natural stone is considered to be a versatile, durable and aesthetically pleasing building material. From the beginning of civilization, important structures and monuments have been built from, or based on, natural stone. Until the end of the nineteenth century, the use of local stone re-sources was mostly in balance with the local environment. Strict environ-mental legislation has resulted in the closing of many long-standing quar-ries in industrialized countries, which has led to a shortage of traditional stone varieties. This has caused problems for restoration practice. Cheap, imported stone from less industrialized countries has become more widely available in recent years. Some of the issues related to built stone conservation and restoration cov-ered by this volume are: the establishment of inventories of possible re-placement stones; understanding the decay mechanism and use of preven-tive conservation methods for slowing down decay processes; evaluation of the properties of natural stone; and assessing the risks of using replacement stones of different qualities.

This book covers the wide spectrum of subjects relating to obtaining and using building stones, starting with their geological origin and then describing the nature of granites, volcanics, limestones, sandstones, flint, metamorphic stones, breccias and conglomerates, with emphasis being placed on how to recognise the different stones via the many illustrated examples from Great Britain and other countries. The life of a building stone is explained from its origin in the quarry, through its exposure to the elements when used for a building, to its eventual deterioration. The structure of stone buildings is then discussed, with explanations of the mechanics of pillars, lighthouses and walls, arches, bridges, buttresses and roof vaults, plus castles and cathedrals. The sequence of the historical architectural styles of stone buildings is explained—from the early days through to postmodern buildings. Special attention is paid to two famous architects: the Roman Vitruvius and the English Sir Christopher Wren who designed and supervised the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. To demonstrate many of the concepts presented, two exemplary stone buildings are described in detail: the Albert Memorial in London and Durham Cathedral in northern England. The former building is interesting because it is comprised of a cornucopia of different building stones and the latter building because of its architecture and sandstone decay mechanisms. In the final Chapter, ruined stone buildings are discussed—the many reasons for their decay and the possibility of their ‘rebirth’ via digital recording of their geometry. The book has over 350 pages and is illustrated with more than 450 diagrams and colour photographs of both the various stones and the associated stone buildings. Readers’ knowledge of the subject will be greatly enhanced by these images and the related explanatory text. A wide-ranging references and bibliography section is also included.

"Twelve peer-reviewed papers demonstrate the continuing advancement in the understanding of dimension stone used in building construction. Topics cover: Strength Testing--addresses testing to determine strength characteristics of dimension stone cladding panels. Design--covers a wide range of topics, including the advantages and disadvantages of three common dimension stone paving installation techniques; the relationships between stone material strength, anchorage strength, and induced stress states for four common dimension stone cladding anchorage configurations; and more. Evaluation and Investigation--provides observations regarding investigations into the causes of dimension stone cladding deterioration and failure. Durability--discusses the complex issue of dimension stone durability using three different approaches; a large-scale European research project to investigate the causes of marble and limestone cladding panel bowing, develop preconstruction testing parameters to assess bowing potential, and assess proposed remedial efforts to reduce or inhibit ongoing bowing; and more."--Publisher's website.

This book addresses physical, chemical, and biological methods for the preservation of ancient artifacts. Advanced materials are required to preserve the Mediterranean belt's historic, artistic and archaeological relics against weathering, pollution, natural risks and anthropogenic hazards. Based upon the 10th International Symposium on the Conservation of Monuments in the Mediterranean Basin, this book provides a forum for international engineers, architects, archaeologists, conservators, geologists, art historians and scientists in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology to discuss principles, methods, and solutions for the preservation of global historical artifacts.

This volume contains two-page abstracts of the 482 papers presented at the latest conference on the subject, in Alexandroupolis, Greece. The accompanying CD contains the full length papers. The abstracts of the fifteen plenary lectures are included at the beginning of the book. The remaining 467 abstracts are arranged in 23 tracks and 28 special symposia/sessions with 225 and 242 abstracts, respectively. The papers of the tracks have been contributed from open call, while the papers of the symposia/sessions have been solicited by the respective organizers.