The influence of mass tourism and hygroscopic inertia in relative humidity fluctuations of museums located in historical buildings

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Cláudia Ferreira
University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Construct – Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3488-0822
Vasco Peixoto de Freitas
University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Construct – Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3913-0868
João Delgado
University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Construct – Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1026-4523

Abstract

The preservation of artefacts in museum collections is profoundly affected by fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. This work presents the results of an experimental laboratorial study, conducted in a flow chamber to demonstrate the enormous potential of hygroscopic materials in stabilizing interior relative humidity. In order to assess the risk of mass tourism and hygroscopic inertia of finishing materials, associated with the hygrothermal behavior of museums, an analysis of several numerical scenarios, with a different number of visitors per hour, and finishing materials, in order to quantify the risks associated with the fluctuations of relative humidity. The results of sensitivity studies performed are presented for the case of a museum in Porto.

Keywords: Mass tourism, Hygroscopic inertia, Relative humidity, Museums, Collections preservation

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