Survey of facades based on thermal scanning: Palazzo della Ragione, Milan, Italy

This Paper compares experimential results obtained on ancient building, following the usual qualitative inspection with a procedure based on time-domain analysis. The aim of the project was to study relationship between characteristics of defects and Thermal behaviour of the surface, using Thermal scanning in various conditions. The other topic was to prove generally the usage of solar radiation as a heating source inj Thermal scanning.The ''palazzo della Ragione'' in Milan is more than 700 years old. We paid our attentiomn to the upper part of the building. the conditions and damages of facades have been studies also using knocking test. Defects we are looking for are delamination of plaster on the brick wall. The southward facade has been monitored 6 time during 1993-1995, using thermography. In addition, the actual wether conditions during scanner were measured. The result were qualitatively analysed. A lot of Knowledge is needed for the qualitative interpretation of thermograms, because different kind of defect and structure variation may be confused. because of limiting factors, any clear correlation between the temperature changes and the detected damages of coating can not be found based on the first approach. A new series of test has made in OCTOBER 1995. experiments can be carried out also at laboratory on a segment of wall, in cluding know defects at various depth. A numerical simulation of the temperature pattern and its time evolution, during the heating and cooling of the wall, was also performed. the dynamic test has been planned, based on the experience of these preliminary studies. Experimental and simulated data have been compared for laboratory and situ dynamic test.