Maremat & memari-e Iran
Year:2015 | Volume:5 | Issue:9|Papers Count:9

Most corrosion inhibitors are toxic and can cause damage to conservators. The aim of this research is to achieve a non-toxic corrosion inhibitor which has good efficacy, is effective and inexpensive, and does not create structural changes, discoloration and deformation on the historical artifact. Nicotiana Tabacum (tobacco) extract consists of alkaloid components and these materials have an important role in controlling corrosion.In this paper, tobacco was selected and extracted, and its function in sodium chloride, 0.5 M as the corrosion inhibitor was evaluated in historical copper artifacts. Review of literature shows that this compound has not been used in the field of restoration.Electrochemical potentiodynamic tests were used to assess the function of this extract.Using this method, some information such as the potential and rate of corrosion, the slope coefficient of cathodic-anodic polarization and resistance at the concentration of the extract was obtained. Further, weight loss tests were carried out. In these tests, copper coupons were prepared and, after artificial aging by the inhibitor, their performance was controlled. Fail/Pass test was used through Rosenberg test to evaluate efficiency of the inhibitor for controlling the bronze disease on historical samples and the distribution of such disease on the samples was evaluated. Accordingly, optical microscope (OM) and electron microscope (SEM-EDAX) were used and the effectiveness of the inhibitor was evaluated with the help of several indicators. Moreover, for evaluating the rate of glaring and glittering of the surface after using tobacco extract the optical density-measuring was used, and colorimetry method was used for studying the changes in color, brightness and overall patina color of historical artifacts after using tobacco. The results of experiments and studies imply the good performance of tobacco extract against corrosion and it can be argued that this herbal extract is a very good option due to its high effectiveness and the least amount of changes on the chloride patina.

Quality of life is one of the influential factors in the sense of attachment to the environment. Low-quality environments are susceptible to lose their liveliness and viability and, consequently, their users and residents. New urbanism seeks equilibrium between social, environmental and local aspects of life and, from this perspective, one of the important factors which plays a role as a unit of urban life is neighborhood. In recent years, due to the dominance of market-driven approaches in cities, old urban areas have become the object of speculation. Inefficient physical interventions have reduced the liveliness and viability of old urban fabrics. This leads to the generation of low-quality environments in which lack of safety, loss of health and cohesion are the main characteristics. The aim of this research is to investigate the physical features of Sonbolestan neighborhood in Isfahan as well as gain knowledge about the condition of economic, social, cultural and environmental liveliness and viability in this neighborhood and, finally, evaluate how much these physical features influence the liveliness and viability of Sonbolestan. In this research, descriptive-analytical and quantitative methods have been used. Statistic community includes residents of Sonbolestan neighborhood and “structural equations” model is used for the analysis of the connected factors. Research findings demonstrate that economic liveliness is the most important physical factor in Sonbolestan whereas there was no significant relationship between physical indicators and social and environmental viability. Economic liveliness was the most important factor influencing residents’ attachment in Sonbolestan neighborhood.

Although the issue of cleaning and washing the historical textiles and fabrics has been proposed in the field of conservation and restoration for a long time, it is still one of the important and challenging issues in this field. Depending on different characteristics of detergents, the cleaning formulation for various textiles will be different. Having different additives and changes of formulation due to time passing, industrial and commercial detergents lack sufficient and proper conditions to be used in such field. Choosing a detergent which is proportionate to the conditions of the textile and its physical features, has good cleaning effect and does not damage the textile and create bad effects on its fibers in the long run should be considered by the conservator in his plan. Regarding the extensive use of Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate (Anion surfactant) in most detergents and its being available and economical, this research aims to investigate its suitability by investigating its advantages and disadvantages in the wet-cleaning of historical cotton textile. To reach such an aim, its cleaning capacity and damaging effects in the cleaning of cotton textile should be assessed. The method of this research is comparative-analytic and the data has been gathered via relevant experiments such as ATR-FTIR, colorimetery, tensile strain etc. The aged cotton textiles are washed by the detergent which consists of the under-study surfactant, and they are examined before and after washing. The results of this study show that it has no damaging effect on the cellulose and can be used in washing historical cotton textiles.

Shapouri Bridge (Tagh-e-Pil-e-Eshkastah) is one of the remnants of Sasanian dynasty which is located in the south of Khorramabad, capital city of Lorestan. The great ancient bridge of Shapouri has undergone many damages due to the passage of time and natural factors so that it has lost its solidarity and integration which makes its restoration inevitable.To choose the appropriate mortar is a significant challenge for the restoration of bridges.Therefore, the main question is to identify the employed mortars in the construction of this bridge and, consequently, to study the feasibility of using the original mortar instead of the modern ones. To do so, first, some mortars of the bridge were removed as samples from different parts such as the foundation, the bridge truss, and the deck. These samples, then, were analyzed using XRD and XRF methods. The results of the analysis indicate that the type of the mortar used in the bridge truss is Gache Nim Pokhte-Nim Kob whereas lime mortar and a compound of lime and ash are used in its foundation and deck overlay respectively. In the next step, the reproduced mortar of Gache Nim Pokhte-Nim Kob was analyzed using XRD analysis and mechanical experiments. The results were then compared with the bridge mortar indicating that Gache Nim Pokhte-Nim Kob is an easily stiffened mortar with suitable compressive and tensional resistance. Once exposed to humidity, the compressive and tensional resistance of the mortar increases.Considering these results and the survival of the mortar upon Shapouri Bridge for more than a thousand and four hundred years, it is recommended to use such mortar in the restoration of Shapouri Bridge.

“Connection” is an inherent necessity of city and one of the main components of development and evolution of landscapes in the old cities as time passes. The “connection” in urban-historical landscapes of Isfahan implies an identity constituted during a long period of history, life and activity of generations after generations and, in this way, it has been exposed to various changes and transformations when it was the Safavid capital.The speed and vastness of contemporary urban expansions threat severely the identity of such cities by creating deep ruptures in the historical urban landscapes. Vanishing of “connection” in urban landscapes, incorrect understanding of its traditional meaning and the emergence of incongruent urban landscapes in modern designs are the consequences of such an expansion which itself is the biggest issue in urban protection. This study aims to show that ‘connection” is a key factor in understanding the integral totality of old cities and makes possible the reading of different physical-historical and symbolic layers for various generations. By proper understanding of the meaning and significance of “connection” in historical urban landscapes and the effectiveness of promoted protection approaches, regaining and more precise valuing of cultural capitals can be achieved.The basis of historical urban landscape approach is the preservation of “connection” and respect for the past cultural-historical values in the process of development and change.The city of Isfahan which is the epitome of “connection” and a source of historical urban landscapes has been selected as the case study and the interpretation of “connection” in its landscapes has been done via qualitative method and holistic approach.

After the destruction of the Bam citadel by the earthquake in 2003, the restoration of the citadel started based on a ten-year action plan. Due to lack of enough experience and knowledge for restoration and strengthening of historical adobe structures in Iran and in order to elevate the experience and knowledge, the study of the causes of destruction of an adobe shop in the bazaar of the citadel and preparation of its restoration and strengthening plan was performed as a pilot project. The main objective was the restoration of the adobe shop to its situation before the earthquake and strengthening in order to withstand future earthquakes. The research method is descriptive-analytical and the data has been collected by library studies and field research. After studying existent literature about the history and architecture of the citadel and shops of bazaar, and the vernacular techniques and materials used in their construction, a wide fieldwork for documentation and pathology was conducted. The strengthening and restoration plan was suggested based on charters for restoration of historical buildings and then it was simulated by the ANSYS code.Obtained results indicate that if the building is restored without strengthening it will have a weak behaviour against future earthquakes and it will experience the same damages.Analyses show that it is possible to improve structural behaviour and eliminate seismic damages by inserting a number of strengthening wooden elements at the corners of walls and edges of openings and then tying them to the roof level as a reversible method with the minimum intervention. In addition, by underpinning and partial reconstruction, grout injection and reconstruction of missing connections it is possible to restore the building stronger than before so that it would have an acceptable strength against future earthquakes.

Cultural-historical complexes are amongst the precious heritage of Iran and an important part of cultural identity of its citizens. As a cultural property, heritage should be conserved in the best possible way and transferred to future generations. Masoudieh historical complex is one of such heritage which is mostly unnoticed today. Nowadays, using revitalization plans for conserving historical buildings and complexes to social life has developed a lot. One of the most important parts of this process is the appropriate determination of use based on revitalization principles. The question which is raised in this regard is how we can identify and implement the process of determining the new use and matching of human activities with architectural structure considering the specific features and conditions of any historical complex. This research aims to pay attention to the necessity of revitalization plan and explore the process of use determination of complexes which is suggested based on Masoudieh historical-cultural complex in Tehran. The main approach of this research is case study and, using historical-interpretive method, valuable data about Masoudieh complex and its potentials was gathered in order to determine the proper use of the complex on the basis of such potentials and the needs of the surrounding urban fabric. Amongst various methods of multi-criteria decision-making, this research selects Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) and Delphi methods. The results of this study imply that this national-historical complex can be revitalized in the historical center of Tehran as a center for artistic events.

Today, despite skilled calligraphers, low-quality inks in the market, heterogeneous ink materials, inappropriate viscosity and inks becoming matte shortly after drying, which indicates the lack of required quality, will cause damages such as distortion, discoloration and even destruction of paper to the valuable works of calligraphers. The pathological study of inks which are used today is an essential step to protect such works that are going to be a part of the future history of this land. What is investigated in this study is the technical and pathological evaluation of black ink, which is frequently used in calligraphy.The aim of this research is to determine the elements and components of black inks and the damages that will appear through time via laboratory studies (chemical and physical).The methods used in the chemical examination include: Atomic absorption spectroscopy methods, X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Chromatography methods. Physical examinations measure glossiness, coverage and viscosity of samples using “Glassymeter”, “Reflectometer” and “Ford Cup”. Chemical examinations indicate that inks are composed of organic and inorganic compounds; for the samples, instead of colorful material, a black pigment (Carbon black, except in one sample) along with an organic material (probably gum) is used.Physical examination of samples shows that more binding will result in more glossiness and more iron will lead to better coverage. Moreover, using heterogeneous particles, inappropriate mixing methods, incorrect preparation and processing of them lead to inappropriate viscosity of ink. In pathological sector, different aging processes on samples show that carbon black pigments prevent ink pallor. In addition, excess of iron and copper ions increases oxidation of cellulose. High levels of binder will accelerate the growth of microorganism and will also lead to an accumulation of ink on the paper and the formation of dense masses on paper, and finally the ink may bleed. On the other hand, low levels of binder will also lead to early bleeding of ink from its base.