Assessment of Deterioration Risk of Maijishan Grotto under the Radiation Difference Based on Heat and Moisture Transfer Model

Abstract

Abstract The ambient environment of architectural heritage is an important factor affecting its conservation. Two adjacent rows of Buddha statues in Grottoes No. 3 (semi-open) of Maijishan Grotto in Gansu, China, show apparent differences in the degree of deterioration. This study made a monitoring scheme of grottoes microenvironments such as air temperature, relative humidity, radiation, and surface temperature to explore the cause of the difference. A two-dimensional heat and moisture (HAM) transfer model was established and verified to simulate the temperature and humidity on the surface and inside of the Buddha statues. Then, temperature and water content fluctuation and the risks of thermal stress destruction on the surface and near the surface of the Buddha statues were evaluated. The results show that the radiation difference causes thermal stress and water content differences both in heights and in depths. This impact brought by the direct sunlight may contribute to the different deterioration on the two rows of Buddha statues. The eaves shaded the upper row of the Buddha statues much longer than the lower ones. Less severe fluctuation and differences in temperature and water content occur at the middle and upper points. This study evaluates the degradation of Grottoes No. 3 and has guiding significance for its preservation methods.