Open research questions in Building materials and conservation

What the literature leaves open

• The lack of a comprehensive understanding of the Marble of Campiglia's geological setting and exploitation history. The need for a detailed field survey of the marble quarries. The importance of preserving the authenticity of the historical artefacts in which the marble was employed.

  The Marble of Campiglia: An Historical Cultural Heritage Ornamental Stone from Tuscany, Italy · 2026 · DOI

• The paper highlights the need to balance the effectiveness of consolidation treatments with their potential impact on the aesthetic appearance and behaviour of the earthen structures.

  An Experimental Study on the Consolidation of Earthen Surfaces Using Nanoparticle-Based Products · 2026 · DOI

• Research on restoration mortars has largely overlooked this type of building with coral masonry due to its rarity. The study does not provide information on the long-term effects of the mortars. The study is limited to the analysis of the physico-mechanical and chemical properties of the materials.

  Physicomechanical and Chemical Assessment of Lime Mortars for the Restoration of Madreporic Coral Masonry Walls · 2026 · DOI

• The research highlights the need for alternative materials that can reproduce the properties of original corals. The study notes that prior research has largely overlooked the conservation of historic structures with coral masonry.

  Physicomechanical and Chemical Assessment of Lime Mortars for the Restoration of Madreporic Coral Masonry Walls · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of assessment of the efficacy, microbiological risks, and sustainability of biocidal treatments on stone materials. The need for careful evaluation of the environmental impact of biocidal treatments. The importance of understanding the effects of biocidal treatments on microbial communities and the potential for undesirable aesthetic effects.

  Biocide Treatments on Stone Materials from Pompeii: Microbial Selection, Efficacy and Emerging Risks · 2026 · DOI

• The need to mitigate the mechanical action required for material removal to prevent localized stress at the coating-substrate interface.

  PVA–Borax Double-Network Gels for Sustainable and Selective Cleaning of Highly Textured Street and Urban Murals · 2026 · DOI

• The need to balance the strengths and limitations of individual techniques. The challenge of working with heritage objects, where non-destructive sampling is often required.

  Weathering of Granite-Based Stone Cultural Heritage: A Multianalytical Review of Mineralogical Alteration, Microcracking, and Decay Patterns · 2026 · DOI

• The need for a multianalytical approach to understand granite weathering. The lack of standardization in granite heritage science. The need for time-resolved diagnostics, climate projection, multi-omics coupling, consolidant durability, and machine learning in granite heritage science.

  Weathering of Granite-Based Stone Cultural Heritage: A Multianalytical Review of Mineralogical Alteration, Microcracking, and Decay Patterns · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of multidisciplinary investigations on the microbial communities associated with post-Byzantine icons. The study aims to address the minimal-sampling constraints inherent to cultural heritage objects.

  Microbial Communities Associated with Post-Byzantine Icons: A Multi-Analytical Study · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness and durability of strengthening agents applied to Gravina calcarenite. The research aims to address the limited understanding of the interaction between strengthening agents and the complex pore system of Gravina calcarenite.

  Effectiveness and Durability of Strengthening Agents Applied to Gravina Calcarenite: The Stone Material of the Sassi di Matera—UNESCO World Heritage Site · 2026 · DOI

• The gap is the lack of understanding of how historical mortars were produced with microstructural features suggesting both binder and aggregate functions derive from a single material. The study addresses the gap by investigating the production and testing of a mortar from a single heterogeneous calcarenite precursor.

  Calcarenite-Derived Lime Mortars Without Externally Added Aggregate: Experimental Validation and Implications for Historical Construction Technologies · 2026 · DOI

• It highlights the need to develop effective methods for preventing biodegradation. The study faces the challenge of characterizing the complex interactions between mold fungi and art materials.

  Syncephalastrum contaminatum STG-160 and Cladosporium sphaerospermum STG-161 from the 16th century icon—risks of tempera pigment degradation · 2026 · DOI

• It highlights the need to investigate the tolerance of mold fungi to heavy metal ions and the role of gene clusters in siderophore synthesis.

  Syncephalastrum contaminatum STG-160 and Cladosporium sphaerospermum STG-161 from the 16th century icon—risks of tempera pigment degradation · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the current antifouling products, which do not provide durable protection against microbial colonization and biofilm growth on stone surfaces.

  Dual Biocide Behaviour of Quaternary Ammonium Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with Thymus Essential Oil for Stone Conservation · 2025 · DOI

• The need to minimize alteration to the physicochemical properties of the artifact's original organic substrates during the cleaning process.

  Hydrogels in Heritage Conservation: A Comparative Evaluation on Composite Objects · 2025 · DOI

• Investigating the effects of other salt types on compact carbonate stones. Studying the long-term durability of compact carbonate stones in various environmental conditions. Examining the potential of non-destructive techniques for monitoring stone deterioration.

  Limitations of Standard Salt Crystallization Tests for Compact Carbonate Heritage Stones: Evidence from Extended Testing on Portoro Limestone · 2026 · DOI

• The standard salt crystallization tests may not accurately assess the durability of compact carbonate stones - The delayed deterioration phenomena in compact carbonate stones are not well understood - The influence of microstructural characteristics on deterioration is not fully…

  Limitations of Standard Salt Crystallization Tests for Compact Carbonate Heritage Stones: Evidence from Extended Testing on Portoro Limestone · 2026 · DOI

• The study only tested a limited number of treatments, - The study only used adobe bricks from the ancient city of Ulanbay, - The study did not investigate the long-term effects…

  An Experimental Study on the Consolidation of Earthen Surfaces Using Nanoparticle-Based Products · 2026 · DOI

• The data may have been somewhat influenced by factors such as limited fragment size and number, - Minor regional and chronological variations are still discernible from the preliminary results, - The results are considered semi-quantitative due to the use of micro-area…

  Investigation on the Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Ancient Tower Bricks from Shaanxi and Sichuan Province, China · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies could investigate the effects of extracellular bacterial products on historical pigments, - The potential applications of amplicon-based metabarcoding in cultural heritage…

  Microbial Communities Associated with Post-Byzantine Icons: A Multi-Analytical Study · 2026 · DOI

• Investigating the long-term effects of the strengthening agents, - Studying the impact of different application methods on the performance of the consolidants, - Examining the effects of the consolidants on other types of stone…

  Effectiveness and Durability of Strengthening Agents Applied to Gravina Calcarenite: The Stone Material of the Sassi di Matera—UNESCO World Heritage Site · 2026 · DOI

• The need for specific knowledge on fungi and their metabolic pathways to use/develop more durable conservation materials, - The need to investigate the degradation of synthetic compounds, - The importance of understanding the impact of different synthetic materials used in painting artworks on fungal…

  Degradation of Synthetic Restoration Materials by Xerotolerant/Xerophilic Fungi Contaminating Canvas Paintings · 2025 · DOI

• Investigating the long-term effects of the cleaning treatments, - Examining the effects of the cleaning treatments on other types of materials, - Exploring other gel types and chelators, - Optimizing the application process to minimize residue deposition and surface…

  Hydrogels in Heritage Conservation: A Comparative Evaluation on Composite Objects · 2025 · DOI

• Inconsistent effectiveness of essential oils, - Possible toxicity of essential oils, - Need for thorough compatibility testing with historic materials, - Limited field trials and comparisons with conventional…

  Essential Oils and Cultural Heritage Conservation: Are They Safe, Environmentally Friendly, Sustainable, and Negligibly Toxic? · 2025 · DOI

• Further research on the compatibility of essential oils with historic materials, - Investigation of the long-term effects of essential oils on heritage objects, - Development of standardized methods for applying essential oils in heritage…

  Essential Oils and Cultural Heritage Conservation: Are They Safe, Environmentally Friendly, Sustainable, and Negligibly Toxic? · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Building materials and conservation

• Measures of the Degree of Chemical Weathering of Rocks · The Journal of Geology · 1968 · 339 citations
• Part I, The Development of the Method · American Antiquity · 1960 · 214 citations
• Recent Calcium Carbonate Facies of the Great Bahama Bank. 1. Petrography and Reaction Groups · The Journal of Geology · 1963 · 182 citations
• Particle size analysis of sediments, soils and related particulate materials for forensic purposes using laser granulometry · Forensic Science International · 2004 · 150 citations
• Influence of Organic Matrix on the Post-Mortem Destruction of Molluscan Shells · The Journal of Geology · 1993 · 131 citations
• A Laboratory and Field Study of Cobble Abrasion · The Journal of Geology · 1919 · 128 citations
• A thermodynamic multi-field model for unsaturated sulfate-saline soils considering crystallization process · Computers and Geotechnics · 2025 · 115 citations
• Chemical Weathering of Bone in Archaeological Soils · American Antiquity · 1983 · 108 citations
• A Rapid Chemical Field Test for Archaeological Site Surveying · American Antiquity · 1973 · 67 citations
• Identification of Cultural Site Formation Processes through Microdebitage Analysis · American Antiquity · 1987 · 61 citations

Most recent work

• Development, properties, and resource utilization of delithiated β spodumene as new-type building materials: Recent progress and future challenges · Cement and Concrete Composites · 2026
• Salt crystallization resistance of four travertine types: integrated petro-physical and microstructural evaluation · Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment · 2026
• Feasibility of cracking granite with molten sodium carbonate as a mining technique in ancient egypt · npj Heritage Science · 2026
• Multi-modal NMR-SEM approach for deciphering salt crystallization-freeze-thaw synergistic damage in limestone · npj Heritage Science · 2026
• The Iceman’s microbiome: unveiling millennia of microbial diversity and continuity · Microbiome · 2026
• Quantitative Assessment of Sandstone Weathering Based on Multi-Data Combination of Nondestructive Testing in the Yungang Grottoes, China · International Journal of Architectural Heritage · 2026
• Innovative evaluation of shale laminae storage potential: An image-based quantification with different laminated assemblages · Fuel · 2026
• Mechanisms and effects of the water seepage environment on the deterioration of stone cultural relics · npj Heritage Science · 2026
• Archaeometric study of a Romanian cave dwelling: mineral composition and conservation aspects · npj Heritage Science · 2026
• Assessing Carbonation Maturity for Restoration Compatibility: A Spectroscopic–Mineralogical Study of Historic and Modern Lime Mortars · Heritage · 2026

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