Diagnosis using non-destructive testing to identify damage in historical heritage – A systematic literature review

Diagnosis using non-destructive testing to identify damage in historical heritage – A systematic literature review | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Diagnosis using non-destructive testing to identify damage in historical heritage – A systematic literature review Laiane Carvalho, Eudes Rocha, Emília Rabbani This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9534483/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The increasing demand for preserving built historical heritage requires diagnostic methods capable of detecting pathological manifestations while maintaining structural and material integrity. This study presents a systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Thirty-seven articles published between 2015 and 2025 were analyzed to identify the main non-destructive testing techniques applied to historical buildings and to evaluate their benefits and limitations. Infrared thermography, ultrasound, ultrasonic pulse velocity and sclerometry were the most frequently employed methods. The combined use of techniques such as thermography, ground-penetrating radar and ultrasound demonstrated greater diagnostic precision. This integration enabled the identification, mapping and quantification of anomalies, including concealed voids and repairs executed with materials different from the original, also NDT methods, such as infrared thermography, mapped heterogeneities in masonry and mortars, detecting hidden elements such as wooden beams and previous restoration layers while endoscopies identified defective grout and corrosion in 7 mm steel cables (rupture strength of 1750 MPa), validating parameters for finite element (FE) simulations. Additionally, GPR, combined with sonic tests and artificial neural networks, estimated the elastic modulus with an error of less than 5% compared to in situ compression tests. Although non-destructive testing proved effective for supporting technical decisions in conservation, restoration and structural reinforcement, the literature emphasizes the need for improved supervision and regulatory advancements to mitigate methodological constraints and ensure reliable applications in heritage contexts. Built historical heritage non-destructive testing masonry໿ reinforced concrete Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files DeclarationontheUseofArtificialIntelligenceassinado.pdf declarationStatement.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 14 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 07 May, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 07 May, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 07 May, 2026 First submitted to journal 26 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9534483","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":640342891,"identity":"a4934b57-1289-438c-8231-62e2b268c19c","order_by":0,"name":"Laiane 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