Non-destructive Restoration Technique for Conservation of Marble and Concrete Structures

Abstract

A considerable proportion of the world’s contemporary and ancient buildings and structures experience biological degradation and assault over time, which eventually causes an accelerated loss of their distinctive, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing qualities. Nowadays, ultraviolet light is employed as a non-destructive technique to preserve building materials. This study’s goal is to use ultraviolet radiation (UVC) to stop fungal biodeterioration of marble and concrete blocks. To do this, pure cultures of Aspergillus sp. obtained from fungal-infected walls (4 cm² surface area) were injected into marble blocks (5 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm) and concrete blocks (10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm) at a height of two meters above ground. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to biodeteriorated cubes, marble blocks lost 2.05% of their compressive strength after 180 days, whereas UVC-exposed cubes showed relatively minimal weight loss. Compared to the marble and concrete cubes exposed to UVC, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures clearly showed a significant shift in the surface degradation and fungal colonization of the biodeteriorated cubes. The effectiveness of reducing these noticeable visual and physical alterations of concrete and marble materials against the development of Aspergillus sp. was shown by the application of specific ultraviolet radiation (UVC).