Day 3 – Q 5. What would you recommend as a solution to prevent the loss of valuable historical monuments to weathering process? Discuss.

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India is an old country, and is fortunate in having the remains of large numbers of buildings that, considered together, provide us with the most tangible and illuminating insights into our past. Most of these buildings are structurally complete and remain in use, even if they have had to be periodically modified to meet changed requirements.

If we ever inspected a crumbling gravestone or once-engraved stone pillar now worn smooth, we can see what weathering can do to even the strongest materials. This weathering occurs on a larger scale as well, affecting some of the world’s most famous monuments. Without human intervention, weathering reclaims monuments, wearing them down to scraps of rock and soil over time. Protecting stone monuments requires on-going preservation efforts, leaving man in constant battle with Mother Nature.

• Marble statues and limestone structures, including many of India’s finest buildings from the middle Ages, are being eaten away, molecule by molecule. Acid rains from coal- or oil-fired engines and manufacturing plants have caused much of the damage.
• Over the years, preservationists have tried to ward off the harm with various remedies, many of which break down in sunlight or water.
• Now, the Sandia National Laboratories scientists hope they have the answer, which also will help prolong the life of concrete used to entomb atomic waste, in a concoction they brewed during three years of research.

Different types of weathering can be seen:

• Mechanical
• Chemical and
• Biological

After surveying by the geologists of natural and man-made damage, including explosions and partial demolition, researchers are suggesting that the monuments may be undergoing continuous damage due to environmental pollution. There is evidence that air pollution has caused substantial harm to monuments of many parts of the world. For e.g. Taj Mahal

Solution to prevent the loss of valuable historical monuments:

• Apply a stone-sealer to buildings with a stone exterior. Stone, some types more than others, can be very porous and therefore vulnerable to moisture. Stone-sealants help protect stone from unwanted moisture than can lead to cracks and mold.
• Fill in any gaps or cracks in the building with caulk to prevent air leaks that can lead to unwanted moisture entering into the building. This will help prevent wood siding from rotting; mold from entering into the building’s interior and cracks from forming.
• Buildings and statues constructed of limestone can be protected from pollution by applying a thin, single layer of a water-resistant coating, according to new research.
• Researchers developed a new way to minimize chemical reactions that cause limestone buildings to deteriorate.

Concerns of preservationists:

The biggest concern of many preservationists is that despite accelerated weathering tests, the long-term effects of consolidants in the real environment are hard to predict. And one of the most promising developments of stone preservation today was that advanced tests were increasingly being brought to bear on stone that has been consolidated and then weathered.

Best Answer: Abhishek singh

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