Evaluation of the reinforcing action of consolidating treatments applied on cement mortars using the micro-sandblasting technique

This work is a feasibility study on the application of the micro-sandblasting technique for evaluating the strengthening action of consolidating treatments applied on natural and artificial stones. The micro-sandblasting system is composed by a micro-sandblasting device and a micro-photogrammetry apparatus. The former creates a shallow crater on the surface operating at constant conditions (pressure of the jet, distance nozzle-surface), while the latter allows quantifying the volume of the crater through a 3D digital reconstruction. The micro-sandblasting method was applied to evaluate the strengthening effect of nanocompounds applied on cement mortars. The consistency of this method compared with three other tests (namely paper abrasimeter test, peeling test, and DRMS test) was considered together with the advantages and disadvantages in order to asses the feasibility of this method in the field of conservation of Cultural Heritage.