title: Development of a low-cost airborne ultrasound sensor for the detection of brick joints behind a wall painting.
abstract: Non-destructive methods are of great interest for the analysis of cultural heritage. Among the different possible techniques, this paper presents a low cost prototype based on the emission and reception of airborne ultrasound without direct contact with the test specimen. We successfully performed a method test for the detection of brick joints under a XV th century Renaissance fresco of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the city of Valencia (Spain). Both laboratory and in situ results are in agreement. Using this prototype system, an early moisture detection system has been installed in the dome that supports the fresco. The result is encouraging and opens interesting prospects for future research.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Av. de los Naranjos s/n, Valencia 46022, Spain. fjgarcid@upvnet.upv.es
authors.forename: Fernando-Juan
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: García-Diego
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Miralles
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Navajas
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001108:Architecture / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis*; D010151:Paintings; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*