Transportation of paintings – Fundamental aspects and vibration measurements during the transportation of artwork
Author: Nathalie Braun, Faculty of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering, Chair of Non-destructive Testing, Technische Universität München, Germany
The aim of Ms Braun’s bachelor thesis was to investigate – with a focus on the maximum occurring values – mechanical vibrations which act on works of art, deploying sensors as they are generally used in the context of non-destructive testing.
In the practical part of the bachelor thesis, the relevant key technical data from the MSR165 data logger employed is described. Furthermore, the functionality of the measurement device is reviewed and the main parameters are determined on the basis of several preliminary experiments, for the performance of the subsequent measurement.
The focus of the practical part is the monitoring, recording and evaluation of the transportation of artwork between the Neue Pinakothek and the Kunsthalle of the Hypo Cultural Foundation in Germany. The vibration measurements recorded as part of the transportation process were quantitatively evaluated in the form of a specially developed measurement concept and qualitatively interpreted on the basis of graphical representations.
The MSR165 shock data logger is generally suitable for non-destructive monitoring of art in transportation
Following the evaluation of the measurement results, the author discovered that the data logger MSR165 is generally suitable for the non-destructive monitoring of art in transportation. The device thus allows accelerations in all three spatial directions to be recorded and permits the reliable detection of all measurement values which exceed a threshold of 2 g, with an accuracy of +/- 0.15 g. In this respect, the data logger in question was outstanding in its ability to capture all the measurement results without visible damage to the monitored work of art.
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Case study republished with permission in writing from MSR.
