Conservation and Investigation of Cometh the Sun: A Monumental Weathering Steel Sculpture

In 2016, Terra Mare Conservation, LLC, was contracted by the City of Atlanta, Georgia, to undertake conservation of Cometh the Sun, a monumental sculpture fabricated in weathering steel by artist Curtis Patterson. The collaborative project involved conservators, metal fabricators, metal trades, city...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Chemello, C., Cano Díaz, Emilio, Crespo Ibáñez, Ana, Mardikian, P., Patterson, C.
Tipo de recurso: otro
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/207496
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/207496
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Corten steel
Weathering stee
Monumental sculpture
Conservation
EIS
Raman
Patina
Descripción
Sumario:In 2016, Terra Mare Conservation, LLC, was contracted by the City of Atlanta, Georgia, to undertake conservation of Cometh the Sun, a monumental sculpture fabricated in weathering steel by artist Curtis Patterson. The collaborative project involved conservators, metal fabricators, metal trades, city public art officials, and the artist. The sculpture has a combined weight of 5.7 tons, and is 15.2 meters in length, 6 meters in width, and 4.5 meters in height. Conservation efforts involved disassembly, replacement of 40 severely corroded areas of steel, artificial patination, sealing of moisture-prone areas, drainage enhancement through the installation of new anchors and footers and a concrete slab, and reassembly. Samples of the original weathering steel patina and new artificially patinated samples of A588 weathering steel were assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using a gel-polymer electrolyte cell. Composition of the natural and artificial patinas was assessed by Raman spectroscopy, and thickness and color were measured. Analytical results demonstrated that the poor performance of the natural patina was not attributable to pollutants but to improper development in areas prone to water retention. These findings highlight the need to follow manufacturers’ specifications when using weathering steel to prevent failure of the protective patina