Monumental heritage diagnostics instrumentation

# Record card
142
Thematic areas
Tourism, social sciences and cultural heritage
Tourism, social sciences and cultural heritage / Technologies for preservation of cultural heritage
Description

The instrumentation is based on the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) which is a non-invasive geophysical technology used to obtain information on anomalous bodies possibly present in the subsoil. The theoretical basis lies in the different electrical properties of the lithotypes present in the subsoil. Starting from these considerations it is possible to shift the interest of applicability both on structures related to cultural heritage by creating a miniaturized portable instrumentation capable of being adapted both to situations in which highly resistive structures are analyzed (built heritage, frescoes, mosaics , etc.) and when analyzing structures with medium-low resistivity values (trees, wooden beams, structures buried in the marine environment, etc.). The instrumentation can also be adapted to the diagnostics of large infrastructures (bridges, tunnels, etc.).

Business fields
Industry
Type of innovation
Product / process innovation in integration with an already existing technology
Description of innovative features / Competitive advantages

The instrumentation object of the invention involves the use of non-invasive electrodes that are made to adhere to the body to be investigated; a system that regulates the choice of current electrodes and potential electrodes; a system that regulates the injection of the current and the measurement of the potential difference; a computer with acquisition software and subsequent data processing. The instrument is equipped (innovative part) with an intelligent system capable of adjusting the output impedance and consequently adapting the contact resistance between the electrode and the material to be investigated. This allows the injection of current even in very resistive materials (frescoes, mosaics, masonry structures, statues, columns, etc.). A second system inserted in the instrumentation (innovative part) also allows to carry out measurements of spontaneous potential. This latter point is important in the study of the state of corrosion of the bars located in reinforced concrete structures (large infrastructures, bridges, tunnels, etc.). The possibility of increasing the number of electrodes allows the realization of 3D tomographies.

Reference market
Incremental innovation
Impacts on existing markets
Development stage
Prototype
TRL
4
Advantages
Product/process/service/technology optimization
Patentable technology
Yes
Patented technology
No
Publication of technology
No
Technology validation/demonstration
External validation
Market positioning
Italian
European
International
Partner required
Enteprise
Public research center/university
Cooperation in national /european / international project

Information
For more information and/or to be put in contact with the Research Team, please contact the Project Manager:

Barbara Angelini - Project Manager
CNR - Unità Valorizzazione della Ricerca
Phone number 06.49932415
E-mail barbara.angelini@cnr.it