Misure non distruttive a microonde ed ultrasuoni su strutture architettoniche in materiale lapideo

We performed a number of nondestructive tests on lapideous materials at ISTI's Signals and Images Laboratory. Our goal was to identify possible anomalies in the samples under test, without breaking or somewhat penetrating them. We experimented some microwave sensors developed at ISTI for field measurements of defects cavities, porosity or other structural anomalies in objects that are relevant to our cultural architectural heritage. In this thesis, some details are given on the two most promising testing techniques, namely, near-field microwave testing, and ultrasound transmission testing. We also describe the instrumentation used, the materials tested and the measurement methods. Finally, the results obtained are presented and discussed.