Modelling the Effects of Protective Treatments in Porous Materials

The aim of this preliminary study is to understand and simulate the hydric behaviour of a porous material in the presence of protective treatments. In particular, here the limestone Lumaquela deAjarte is considered before and after the application of the silane-based product ANC. A recently developed mathematical model was applied in order to describe the capillary rise of water in stone specimens. The model was calibrated by using experimental data concerning the water absorption by capillarity in both treated and untreated stone specimens. With a suitable calibration of the main parameters of the model and of the boundary conditions, it was possible to reproduce the main features of the experimentally observed phenomenon.