The Effects of Air Pollution on Damages in Historical Buildings, the Case of Gaziantep, Turkey

Tulay Karadayi Yenice

Conservation of historical buildings and monuments and handing them down to future generations is one of the main issues of architecture. Contrary to popular belief, preserving these constructions for centuries may be difficult under the changing conditions in the world, in spite of the opportunities of the improving technology. Air pollution is one of the greatest protection issues for these structures to be preserved against. The major causes of air pollution may include the use of fossil fuels in transportation and electricity generation, burning of the solid waste, industrial and local use of fuel, and industrial activities. The aim of this research is to determine the impact of air pollution on the deformations at the historical buildings in Gaziantep's historical city centre. The traditional monumental and civil architectural works made of stone materials constitute the basic material of the research. In the study, the effects of SOx and NOx, and particulate matters, the most important pollutants originating from the weather conditions and causing deformation at the stones, were evaluated and the harms were determined. As a result of this study, it is identified that the most important effect of air pollution on the stone material is the formation of crust. The crusting not only affects the structure of the stone but also it may cause exfoliation and stratification. Abrasion is another effect of air pollution on the stone. However, it has been seen that the importance of this effect is less than the other factors related to air pollution.