Ermanno Grinzato and the humidity assessment in porous building materials: retrospective and new achievements

In this work, Ermanno Grinzato is remembered in one of the main activities of his scientific life: the use of IR thermography to assess quantitatively the humidity content in porous materials, both in loose soil and in the materials used in buildings, with an accent on the historical ones. In the first part, his direct contribution is described and in the second part some new contributions that originate on his ideas and achievements are accounted for. Concerning the direct contributions, it is accounted for the concepts of Thermal Inertia as a signature of the humidity presence, the use of forced ventilation to enhance the humidity presence, the measurement of the Critical Moisture Content and the introduction of the Saturation Thermal Index. The patented devices, implementing the former research, are described as well. As new contributions, a device for scanning large surfaces, a new interpretation of Critical Moisture Content and a new test on moisture diffusivity are presented.