Limits and advantages of different techniques for testing moisture content in masonry

The different techniques used for field measurements of moisture content in the San Rocco Church in Cornaredo, Italy, were compared and discussed. The comparison considers the heterogeneous nature of the data collected, and the benefits and disadvantages of each technique tested. The results from the techniques used to measure water content in the superficial layer were in very good agreement, while the data from the techniques that were applied to test more deeply within the masonry showed greater variability because of the variability of the diffusion of water deep inside the material and the lack of established techniques to obtain the reference results from the deepest layers of the materials. Therefore, the discussion presented in this paper summarizes some of the obtained results that are useful when comparing the techniques. This comparison highlights the techniques according to their reliability and feasibility for use in the field, required surface features for the application, work conditions, current techniques and costs associated with the use of the tests.