SEM–EDS Microstructural Analysis of Heritage Structure

Material science is one of the interesting areas of specialization in research and development in all fields of engineering, especially all major civil engineering developments can be related to advancement in materials. This also has a significant influence on our ecosystem. In the present study, the principles of green engineering have been demonstrated using the example of heritage buildings that have survived more than 500–700 years with minimal damage. Even though depreciation of material takes place over a period of time, there is a gulf of difference between materials used in present construction and the past mortars and binders used in ancient construction. Most of the heritage monuments require retrofitting, and there is a need to observe the concept and interphase keenly. Present work focuses on the study of heritage materials as microanalysis to get a precise inference about the mortars and binders used in these structures centuries ago. As part of this case study, one sample has been extracted from the ancient structures and were analysed for chemical analysis by Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) to find-out the exact mix proportion of elements in specific volume. Magnesium, silica, and calcium were found to be higher in the samples.