ANALYZING MOISTURE RETENTION IN A NATURAL STONE VIA HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SUPPORTED BY PETROGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS FOR MICROSTRUCTURAL INSIGHT

Abstract:

Stone conservation plays a vital role in the preservation of cultural heritage, particularly in maintaining the integrity of historic structures. Since moisture content (MC) is a crucial parameter involved in most stone deterioration processes (hygric and hydric swelling, salt and ice crystallisation, mineral dissolution and biological growth), monitoring this parameter provides key insights into the conditions of the building materials. This study explores the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to estimate the thickness of the surface water layer on a natural stone sample across varying moisture saturation levels, followed by complementary petrographic analysis by thin section to understand the distribution of moisture within the stone sample throughout the drying process. The findings confirm that petrographic analysis correlates with hyperspectral-derived maps of surface moisture thickness, specifically in identifying how moisture preferentially accumulates in certain areas based on pore connectivity and distribution. This correlation provides deeper insights into the transfer of moisture in the stone sample, explaining the patterns observed at different saturation levels.

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