DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS - St. Sebastian Church, Almada

Abstract

This report concerns São Sebastião Church, Almada, which was used as a case-study of the EU project COMPASS. It focuses the assessment of damage, diagnosis and advice for repair of salt decay anomalies. It concludes that capillary is probably the main source of moisture and nitrates the main type of salt (although chlorides were also detected). The high damage state of the lime-mortars seems to be due, in a great extent, to their low mechanical resistance and very high absorption. The new plasters and renders should prevent crystallization from occurring inside the weak substrate lime-mortars, which easily deteriorate.