Adobe Bricks of the Champagne Region (France): Characterization of a Chalky Raw Earth Construction Material.

Raw earth bricks made from the soil of the Chalky Champagne region (France) have been used for at least two millennia in construction, a promising heritage in the context of reducing the carbon emissions of buildings. The present experimental study aims to measure the physical, mechanical, thermal, and hydric properties of adobes collected from a local village barn. The results show a high chalk content, estimated at 71%, and a clay content, acting as a binder, of 14%.

Use of micro-climatic monitoring to assess potential stone weathering on a monument: example of the Saint-Remi Basilica (Reims, France).

Temperature and humidity variations influence various weathering processes of historical building stones. The aim of this study is to define the possible micro-climates on a monument in order to identify the recurring stress events, allowing to assess the potential stone weathering. For this purpose, a sensor network was set up on the two towers of the Saint-Remi Basilica of Reims: fourteen i-Buttons recorded temperature and relative humidity for 2 years with a time step of 1 h or 2 min for short measurement campaigns.

Laminar gypsum crust on lede stone: Microspatial characterization and laboratory acid weathering.

Gypsum crusts are typical decay forms on limestone in polluted urban environments. Their origin and relation to the stone facies have been thoroughly investigated in the past three decades. Here, we present the combined use of novel techniques for a microspatial structural, chemical and mechanical characterization of a laminar black gypsum crust on a sandy limestone.