Ekaterini T. Delegou

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at National Technical University of Athens

In rural, depopulated areas, agritourism, as a development model, could serve the goal of non- exclusively seasonal tourism while creating additional economic opportunities for the locals who are mainly engaged in agriculture. Kasos is an isolated island of the Dodecanese, Greece, preserving interesting elements of the authentic agricultural practi...

Nowadays, the fusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) comprises a widespread approach for resolving various types of problems in many scientific domains including Protection of Monuments. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) approaches and Infra-Red Thermography (IRT) specifically, plays a key role for the diagnosis and the assessment of the monuments’ pre...

The restoration of historic buildings and structures involves a wide range of scientific and technical fields. The grouting process is among an array of rehabilitation and preservation interventions and aims to homogenize the structure after the implementation of strengthening measures. The process can provide important information regarding the st...

Sustainable development proposals utilizing the environmental and cultural reserve of remoted areas, help to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage and nature, while further strengthening the local economy, and boosting tourist activity. This article aims to assess the socio-economic effects of the sustainable development proposals for the isl...

Protection and promotion of cultural and environmental heritage could be a key factor of an area’s integrated sustainable development plan, while presenting social, environmental, cultural, and economic benefits. In remote areas, sustainable development usually depends on external economies, such as tourism. This study focuses on the Megisti Comple...

Abstract: Responsible tourism practices promote the idea that responsibility refers to both visitors and local communities, ensuring the protection and conservation of the natural environment and cultural heritage and contributing to a better quality of life. The role of "sustainability" in a tourist development strategy is to protect and reveal wh...

A cultural landscape is a complex and integrating concept with both material–physical and immaterial substance. Nevertheless, even today, the strategies for the protection and promotion of cultural landscapes are concentrated only at their material cultural elements, separated from their immaterial existence, or even from the natural environment in...

Sustainable development is linked with the preservation and revealing of cultural heritage via practices of adaptive reuse. Adaptive reuse of cultural assets could provide various benefits to the local communities: environmental, economic and social. An important goal of these practices is the attraction of external economies in order to ensure the...

This work presents the assessment of the susceptibility of five different lithotypes to salt crystallization decay, after the application of accelerated ageing tests of NaCl solution by total immersion, and duration of 60 days. Particularly, four different biocalcarenites (Rhodes Greece, Spain and Cyprus), and a calcitic sandstone (Achaia Greece) a...

In this study, the presence of microbial communities in the building materials of the Holy Aedicule via am-plicon metagenomics is established. Ten samples in total are examined consisting of five mortar samples, two marble samples and three Holy Rock samples. They all are of high importance from a historical perspective, and they are collected from...

The Monastery of Varnakova is one of the most important and oldest religious complexes in Greece with high historical significance. The Catholicon was reconstructed in 1831 on the remains of the 11th century structure. Today it is in a bad state of preservation, as it has been severely affected by strong earthquakes and presents serious problems re...

It is common knowledge that wildfires are one of the most severe threats to cultural heritage sites, especially in conditions of climate change. This work discusses the results from tests which were performed in order to study the effects of fire on the strength and cohesion of natural building stones. Particularly, the Italian natural building sto...

Preserving and highlighting cultural heritage is directly related to sustainable development. The adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings and traditional settlements can be a core issue in the implementation of a circular economy strategy, especially in remote areas. In this framework, the current study focuses on Kythera, an isolated Greek i...

Multidisciplinary data integration within an information system is considered a key point for rehabilitation projects. Information regarding the state of preservation and/or decision making, for sustainable restoration is prerequisite. In addition, achieving structural integrity of a historic building, especially one that has undergone many constru...

In this work, we present the development of a database as a tool for cultural heritage information management. Additionally, the database must be suitable for the semantic analysis of the stored information permitting deriving conclusions and assessment of protection interventions. Concretely, the database should be capable of storing information r...

In this work, an approach regarding the representation of a monument in combination with building material documentation information (deriving from non-destructive techniques) is presented. Through this approach, data incorporating architectural, surveying and building material documentation information are aggregated with the 3D documentation mode...

Non-destructive testing is used for many applications in the cultural heritage protection field. In this study three such sensing techniques, portable digital microscope, infrared thermography, georadar were used for the in site investigation of the ISIA building at the historic center of Florence. This work was a sub-action of a research program c...

The artificial oxalate method has been thoroughly studied over the last decades as a compatible and performing protective treatment for marbles and other calcite stones. In this study, the most widely used synthesis (5% w/v ammonium oxalate aqueous solution) was applied by brushing on pentelic marble surfaces and assessed in terms of surface textur...

During the last decade, documentation and three dimensional (3d) reconstruction of archaeological sites and buildings have proven to be a valuable tool in terms of preservation and restoration processes. Moreover, 3d virtual models are used for the representation of cultural heritage assets, in a specific state of preservation at the time of a chos...

As part of the innovative research entitled «Integrated Diagnostic Research Project and Strategic Planning for Materials, Interventions Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Holy Aedicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem», conducted by National Technical University of Athens NTUA in agreement with the Jerusalem Patriarchate (The Jo...

The evaluation of the fire impact on building materials is of great scientific and socio-economic importance since fire can result in materials’ chemical and mechanical alterations, which leads to structural stability problems of historical and/or modern construction. This highly increases the cost of rehabilitation interventions. The case study of th...

In this work, samples of the white marbles enclosing the Tomb of Christ, as well as samples from the interior marble facades of the Holy Aedicule structure surrounding the Tomb of Christ in the Church of Resurrection in Jerusalem, are investigated using petrographic and isotopic analysis. The aim is to characterize the marble samples and investigat...

In this work, a multi-disciplinary approach regarding diagnostic study processes is presented, using as an example the Catholicon of Kaisariani Monastery in Attica, Greece. Kaisariani Monastery is considered one of the most important Byzantine architectural complexes in Greece. The Catholicon of Kaisariani Monastery was built during the middle Byza...

The sustainable preservation of monuments requires the use of performing materials which are at the same time compatible with the monument’s historical building materials to ensure structural integrity, adequate performance of the structure in earthquake stresses, and resilience of both restoration and historical materials. This is especially true...

The Temple of Apollo Pythios, built in the Hellenistic era (3rd–1st century BC), is located in the ancient Acropolis of Rhodes. It was excavated during the Italian occupation and reconstructed by the Italians in the period 1937–8. The method of the “scenographic” restoration was the “mixed structure” technique using a core of reinforced concrete in...

Scanning microscopy techniques have emerged as powerful scientific tools for analysing materials of architectural or archaeological interest, since the commercialization of the first scanning electron microscopy instrumentation in the early 60s. This study is aimed at reviewing and highlighting the significance of several scanning microscopy techni...

This work aims to point out the key role that Non-Destructive Techniques (NDTs) like Infra-Red Thermography, Ground Penetrating Radar, Ultrasonic Testing, Digital Microscopy, Colorimetry and Karsten Tubes, can play, not only on the diagnostic level and for the assessment of conservation interventions at the end of a project, but also during rehabil...

In this work, the onsite evaluation of the conservation interventions that took place for a graffiti removal, result of vandalism in March of 2015 on the façades of the Historical Rectorship Building, in the Historical Complex of National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), is presented. The results presented concern the performance evaluation o...

The rehabilitation of the Holy Aedicule of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, completed in March 2017, aimed to address the deformation problems encountered after its most recent reconstruction in 1810. A diagnostic study performed by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), indicated the cause of the deformations and revealed the Aedicule...

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a powerful non contact imaging technique, appropriate for the protection of cultural heritage. The National Technical University of Athens research team (scientist responsible: A. Moropoulou), started to use this technique in the early 1990s, in all stages of a conservation project, from decay diagnosis to assessment...

The configuration of assessment criteria, methodology compilation, and the strategic planning of cleaning interventions applied on architectural surfaces of monuments are discussed in this chapter. This is accomplished by the use of an integrated decision-making system to assess cleaning interventions on stone architectural surfaces that present th...

The National Technical University of Athens undertook the compilation of an "Integrated Diagnostic Research Project and Strategic Planning for Materials, Interventions Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Holy Aedicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem". This paper focuses on the work merging the geometric documentation with the ch...

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) is one of the most important historical sites of Christianity. The current Aedicule structure is the result of various construction phases, damages and destructions, reconstructions, and protection interventions, and as such, it serves as an emblematic case study for five-dimensional (5D...

In this study, the role of cultural routes in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage context in rural areas is examined within the frame of sustainable and spatial development. The main objective is the development of an integrated strategic plan for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, through the implementation of an inno...

In this paper, the documentation of an historic building registered as Cultural Heritage asset is presented. The aim of the survey is to create a 3D geometric representation of a historic building and in accordance with multidisciplinary study extract useful information regarding the extent of degradation, constructions’ durability etc. For the imp...

Diagnosis is the first and most crucial step in the process of monument protection. Diagnosis demands a variety of information and can be a complicated procedure especially when dealing with historical buildings and the limitations that these induce; nevertheless when the correct methodology is followed, diagnosis can be carried out whilst minimizi...

In this work the documentation and classification of monuments based on common characteristics in architecture and painting is examined, aiming at the protection and promotion of common cultural heritage. A comparative study was elaborated between Greek and Serbian monasteries in the Byzantine period. The fields and parameters of the study were set...

The geometric documentation of characteristic parts of the walls of the Sarantapicho Acropolis and Erimokastro Acropolis in Rhodes, Greece, in accordance with GIS modeling and analysis operations are utilized to accomplish the mapping of building materials, decay patterns and conservation interventions of both investigated sites. Ortho-rectified im...

In this work the basic principles for the sustainable development of wider areas at regional level are examined. The main objective is the organization of such areas with diverse features in ground physiognomy and natural and building reserve, into open-air museums. A case study is carried out in the area of Inner Mani and is being presented and an...

Non-destructive techniques (ground penetrating radar, infra-red thermography, fibre-optics microscopy) were employed on south upper gallery mosaic areas of Hagia Sophia. The main aim of this on-site investigation was to evaluate the preservation state of the mosaics and the previous interventions, as well as to detect mosaics in layers below the ex...

Photovoltaic (PV) modules' degradation behaviour, together with outdoor field condition and fault diagnostics, consist valuable data in evaluating efficiency and establishing long-term reliability of a PV system. However, since PV modules commonly come with 25 (even over) years of warranty, testing modules in field for that long period is not feasi...

Photovoltaic (PV) modules' degradation behaviour, together with outdoor field condition and fault diagnostics, consist valuable data in evaluating efficiency and establishing long-term reliability of a PV system. However, since PV modules commonly come with 25 (even over) years of warranty, testing modules in field for that long period is not feasi...

The systematic analysis of corrosion damage on cultural heritage objects is an aspect of multidisciplinary interest. The application of computer-aided approaches in corrosion control has recently become a challenging issue. However, the majority of researches attain to estimate the decay presence by evaluating colour and texture alterations. This p...

The systematic analysis of corrosion damage on cultural heritage objects is an aspect of multidisciplinary interest. The application of computer-aided approaches in corrosion control has recently become a challenging issue. However, the majority of researches attain to estimate the decay presence by evaluating colour and texture alterations. This w...

The church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is a world heritage monument that epitomizes the byzantine ecclesiastic architecture. The church is decorated with mosaics from various historic periods. The preservation state of the mosaics is of high importance. In this study, non-destructive techniques (ground penetrating radar, infra-red thermography, fib...

In this work, pulsed infrared thermography was applied on marble samples collected on site before and after pilot cleaning interventions. Temperature – time plots, displaying the intensity of pixels against time were plotted from the acquired pulsed thermographic images, and the temperature falling rate for the in-vestigated samples was studied. It...

In this work, several non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) techniques along with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were applied on Pentelic marble surfaces. The investigated Pentelic marble surface disclosed a representative decay pattern that usually develops in polluted urban atmosphere suc...

The quantification of black crust formation on exposed stone has been carried out in this work with the aid of non-destructive analytical techniques. The proposed non-destructive Morphologically Fused Detection (MFD) approach, quantifies the deterioration effects encountered on marble surfaces by providing the number, location and shape of deterior...

In this work, digital processing of scanning-electron-microscopy images utilized to assess cleaning interventions applied on the Pentelic marble surfaces of the National Archaeological Museum and National Library in Athens, Greece. Beside mineralogical and chemical characterization that took place by scanning-electron-microscopy with Energy Dispers...

This paper examines a novel approach of corrosion damage analysis based on image processing for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of degradation effects on stone surfaces. This methodology can be applied in situ in association with a variety of non-destructive monitoring schemes, and on images acquired from several imaging modalities, capturi...

Two non-contact NDT & E (non-destructive testing and evaluation) techniques were employed in the inspection of quarry Pentelic marble samples; surface profilometry and infrared thermography. The samples were processed with different roughness treatments (i.e. 60, 80, 100, 220, 400 and 600 mesh) and were evaluated in the laboratory. Furthermore, dif...

In this work, digital processing of SEM images is utilized in order to assess the impact of atmospheric pollution on the microstructure of pentelic marble surfaces. The investigation samples were collected by the pentelic marble surfaces of the historic buildings of National Archaeological Museum and National Library in Athens, Greece. The investig...

This work presents a diagnosis protocol about building materials and their decay patterns, incorporating quality control characteristics. This protocol, which is demonstrated in practice on the historic building of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece, can be useful for scientists and agencies such as a Ministry of Culture. In situ...

Three dimensional (3D) laser profilometry (LP) and pulsed thermography (PT) were used in the inspection of Pentelic marble. Quarry Pentelic marble samples, after processed with different roughness treatments (i.e. 60, 80, 100, 220, 400 and 600 mesh), were evaluated in the laboratory. Furthermore, different surface cleaning treatments were applied t...

Two non-contact NDT and E (non-destructive testing and evaluation) techniques were employed in the inspection of quarry Pentelic marble samples; surface profilometry and infrared thermography. The samples were processed with different roughness treatments (i.e. 60, 80, 100, 220, 400 and 600 mesh) and were evaluated in the laboratory. Furthermore, d...

Although, the efficiency of thermography as a non-destructive technique in the literature it is well documented, in the investigation of historic structures, where a restoration or conservation treatment can cause irreversible damage to the structure, it is considered to be of most importance. In the present work, both thermographic approaches, pas...

In this work, infrared thermography was employed as a monitoring technique during water capillary rise tests on a choice of porous stones in the laboratory, as well as in situ on a cleaned porous stone surface of a historic building. While the emissivity values of the investigated materials were considered for the thermographic survey, other invest...

Although, the efficiency of thermography as a non-destructive technique in the literature it is well documented, in the investigation of historic structures, where a restoration or conservation treatment can cause irreversible damage to the structure, it is considered to be of most importance. In the present work, both thermographic approaches, pas...

The paper presents some applications of infrared thermography. These are: • Surface cleaning assessment of historic buildings. • Inspection of airport pavements. • Inspection of composite sheets for aerospace applications.

In this work, pilot cleaning interventions applied by a wet micro-blasting method on architectural surfaces of three historic buildings in marble and porous stone were evaluated in situ and in the laboratory. The investigation was performed on characteristic stone surfaces (marbles and porous stone) of the following historic buildings: Athens Acade...

Glass tesserae from Hagia Sophia’s dome mosaics were examined by microscopy. The tesserae consisted of at least two gold or silver leaves sandwiched between a thicker base glass, with a characteristic amber or greenish hue, and a thin transparent surface glass layer. The materials and technology used, as well as their condition, were characterised...

In this work, infrared thermography was applied and investigated as a non-destructive tool in the assessment of materials and techniques for the protection of cultural heritage. Diagnostic studies on monuments and historic buildings, situated in Greece, were performed. Long wave infrared thermography was used on restoration and traditional - histor...

Infrared thermography is a non-destructive investigation technique that is mainly used due to the advantages that it is able to provide in a range of applications and particularly for conservation purposes of historic buildings and monuments, where destructive sectioning and testing is restricted. In this research work, infrared thermography is emp...

Extraction of temperatures or temperature differences by means of infrared thermography is not possible without knowledge of the target emissivity. There is no infrared camera that can read temperature directly. All cameras interpret the infrared radiation coming from the investigated material, which involves emitted, reflected and occasionally tra...

In this work, various architectural surfaces are investigated in situ, by non-destructive techniques, before and after a pilot cleaning intervention. The pilot cleaning, by a wet micro blasting method, was applied on the facades of the historic buildings of Athens Academy and National Library of Greece (historic buildings designed by Th. Hansen and...

The compatibility of conservation interventions on mosaics brings forward a fundamental matter for the assortment of proper preservation materials and techniques. With an eye to the strict conservation regulations for mosaics and historical sites in general, merely non-destructive techniques ought to be employed for significant information attainme...

Black crusts on stone surfaces, mainly composed of gypsum crystals, not only aesthetically affect the stonework but also cause further decay. Appropriate conservation methods should non-destructively detect the pollutant type and extent. In this paper, we propose a computer aided diagnostic method for automatically detecting deterioration patterns...