Evaluation of the strengthening effect of consolidants applied on porous and fissured substrates

Abstract

The evaluation of the efficacy of stone consolidant treatments is a very important step in the selection process of the product to be used in a real situation. The procedure to select the appropriate product should be a step-by-step program. Sonic measurements and drilling resistance are currently used as non- or micro-destructive methods to evaluate the cohesion increase promoted by the treatment but they can also be used in each step of the evaluation program. Based on authors’ experience drilling resistance technique is a very useful tool for porous stone like limestone and soft sandstones. On fissured rocks, ultrasonic methods are considered very sensitive, allowing for the comparison of treatments, especially in laboratory conditions.