Measuring ultrasonic velocity

I would like to hear from stone conservators who have used
ultrasonic velocity measurements to assess the deterioration of
carved stonework and to determine the efficacy of consolidation work
carried out. What equipment/accessories were used and what were
their advantages and limitations?

We work mainly on sandstones, schists, slates and granites. While
some of the stonework may be kept inside museums, the great majority
form part of exterior monuments and are often wet (this being
Scotland) and salt contaminated. I have read a number of science
papers regarding this non-destructive method of investigation but
would be very keen to hear from conservation practitioners as to
their ease of use and applicability in an environment such as ours.
Does anyone know of any suppliers within the UK of such equipment?
So far I have only found one in Germany. Is it possible to try out
such equipment within the UK prior to committing ourselves to the
acquisition of this seemingly quite costly piece of kit? How easily
can it be used on site and how sturdy is it?

Christa Gerdwilker
Stone Conservator
Historic Scotland Conservation Centre


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:27
                Distributed: Thursday, December 16, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-18-27-032
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