Natural and anthropogenic sources of total suspended particulate and their contribution to the formation of black crusts on building stone materials of Catania (Sicily)

Blackening and disaggregation of exposed surfaces of stone monuments are well-known effects of stone decay taking place in polluted urban environments all over the world. This paper aims to assess the contribution of natural and anthropogenic sources of total suspended particulate (TSP) causing permanent damage (black crusts) to the stone monuments of Catania (Sicily), one of the most popular ‘‘cities of art’’ of southern Italy. Atmospheric pollution of Catania, a typical Mediterranean coastal town, is mainly contributed by vehicle exhaust emissions rather than industrial ones. Episodically, the city also suffers gaseous and ash emissions (plumes) from the nearby Mount Etna volcano. Thus, t…

From βαλανεῖα to thermae: unveiling the transition from Greek to Roman architectural models of baths by technological and provenance archaeometric studies on bricks and tiles

So far unexplored, the introduction and the spread of the Roman thermal buildings in the prima provincia (Sicily) are widely debated in the current archeological studies. Mainly due to the lack of systematic excavations and intensively technological studies, the assessment of thermae in the Hellenistic-Roman Sicily has been thus far interpreted as a new social and architectural experience. However, a more careful archeological investigation would suggest a gradual transformation of the architectural landscape from the purely Greek bath tradition to the canonical thermae types. The aim of this paper is therefore to study the classical hot bath culture and, in particular, the transition from …

Alkali activated materials using pumice from the Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy) and their potentiality for cultural heritage applications: Preliminary study

Abstract In this paper, the potentialities of pumice-based geopolymers have been explored with the aim to evaluate their use as restoration materials. In particular, the behaviour of Aeolian pumice during alkali activation process, either alone or in binary mixtures with metakaolin, has been assessed using sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate activators. Hardened products were characterized by: X-ray diffraction; infrared spectroscopy; thermo gravimetry and electron microscopy. Furthermore, Hg-intrusion porosimetry, water absorption, compressive strength and colorimetric measurements were carried out in order to define the technical features of the produced geopolymers. The results reveal t…

I materiali lapidei dell’apparato di facciata della Chiesa di S. Nicolò L’Arena di Catania: caratterizzazione e considerazioni sulla provenienza