Methodology for the restoration of heritage built in exposed concrete. The case study of ‘Piscina das Marés’, Portugal

Abstract

The conservation of exposed concrete heritage implies repairs with restoration demands, besides mechanical and durability requirements. The main difficulty is to achieve chromatic, texture and finishing compatibility between repair mortars and concrete surfaces. The authors developed a restoration methodology for concrete heritage that comprises the chromatic characterization by image processing and the design of customized restoration mortars, fulfilling mechanical, durability, colour and finishing requirements. In this paper, the methodology is applied to a case-study, proving its ability to achieve the desired compatibility between the original surface and the restoration mortar, thus validating its use in safeguarding concrete heritage.