Old and Innovative Materials Towards a “Compatible Conservation”

Conservation actions are essential to allowing the usability of heritage for present and future generations. Particularly, for a wider sustainability and for not compromising the authenticity of the subject (in material, structural and figurative terms), intervention must be designed without introducing elements that are not compatible. It is therefore essential to understand material compatibility for implementing proper intervention. Thus, it compares the strategies for testing, monitoring and simulating innovative technological systems, to warrant a good conservation of historic buildings when old materials are close to new materials. In order to illustrate alternative methods of thinking conservation project, the chapter examines the use of new technologies available, such as infrared survey, monitoring systems and simulation software, and their potential in the decision process of the project. In fact, the study of permeability, density, thermal conductivity, capillary absorption and drying shrinkage are essential when two different surfaces are in contact.