Thermography against DANA

In addition to the obvious devastation caused by the floods of 29 October, the DANA has caused even more damage, which is more difficult to detect with the naked eye. This is the case for certain water leaks, which are not easily perceptible but whose damage can be irreversible if not dealt with in time. That is why technology is once again becoming an ally in the fight against the effects of dampness on buildings, documents, works of art, cultural assets and any other element that has been affected.

Thanks to the donation of the companies Grupo Álava and Hikmicro, the Universitat Politècnica de València has received six new thermographic cameras that, from the Research Institute for the Heritage Restoration of UPV, are at the service of the reconstruction of the effects of the DANA.

Infrared thermography is a non-destructive technique for detecting temperature differences on surfaces. It captures the infrared radiation emitted by objects and converts it into a thermal image representing the temperature differences, which are cooler in damp areas.

Undetectable damage

'It will help to find hidden damage impossible to see with the human eye, such as dampness, water leaks, structural damage... With the cameras, we will see minimal thermal differences, up to two-hundredths of a degree, explained Angel Lezana, product manager for Thermography at Grupo Álava, during the presentation of the cameras at the Rectorate of the Universitat Politècnica de València together with the company Hikmicro. ‘We heard about this initiative, and we got down to work to see how we could help assess infrastructures and the damage caused by the DANA,' said Alicia García, head of Marketing and Communication at Hikmicro's company.

Thousands of buildings affected

With the collaboration of the College of Architects and the College of Technical Architects, the UPV will be able to mobilise technicians to use the cameras wherever needed. 'There is a lot of work to be done and many fields to apply this technology. It is not possible to quantify it yet because there are many injuries of varying severity. Still, the damage caused by DANA can reach 30,000 buildings, according to data from the Valencian Building Institute,' said Santiago Tormo, deputy director of the Research Institute for the Heritage Restoration of UPV.

Prevention of health damage

The analysis carried out with the thermal cameras also makes it possible to avoid health problems associated with dampness, which is observed in the affected areas. If areas with dampness imperceptible to the naked eye are identified, rapid action can be taken to prevent the appearance of mould and its harmful effects on people's respiratory systems.
In addition, camera-based moisture detection also enables repair work to be planned, e.g., to avoid painting surfaces in apparently dry areas that, with hidden moisture, would lead to paint rejection.

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