Stone deterioration is a non-linear process that is difficult to observe in a short
period. The current study documents surface changes related to material loss using
terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and explains the differences in weathering of lithotypes
and different wall orientations of various weathering forms. Ruins of a medieval church
constructed from weathering-prone porous limestone were surveyed prior to and after
a winter period in a five-month interval with two scan phases. Thirty-five stone surfaces
of exposed and sheltered wall sections of different compass orientations were compared
to assess the short-term material loss and weathering. The study revealed that more
than 30% of the selected surfaces show a major surface retreat of more than 4 mm.
Three to nine percent of the scanned areas show countable deterioration. The most
significant material loss was recorded at rain exposed but partially wind pro-tected
walls facing Northeast. Lithology also controls the surface loss and the rate of weathering.
Ooidal porous limestone is the most sensitive lithology to weathering. The minor heterogeneities
of the stone ashlar and the co-existence of weathered and seemingly intact areas even
within one stone block were also considered. Comparing two time-lapses allows for
recognizing even minor surface loss. Scans could be made before and after the weathering
threshold, but it cannot be predicted when the threshold is reached.(c) 2022 The Authors.
Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR).
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
)