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Editorial

This Special Issue of Materials Characterization is the third in aseries, which began in 2004. This volume contains selectedpapers from the contributions presented at the 11th Eurosemi-nar on Microscopy Applied to Building Materials (EMABM), heldat the University of Porto, Portugal, from 5th to 9th June, 2007.

The EMABMhas taken place as a biennial event, since 1987,when experts in concrete petrography from seven Europeancountries were invited to participate in a meeting in Copenha-gen to discuss thin-section analysis of concrete. The EMABMmeetings have become a prestigious international conferenceon microscopy and petrography applied to modern andhistorical building materials, in which issues ranging fromconcrete, mortars, masonry, tiles and repair materials toweathering and deterioration of materials and structures arepresented and discussed. These are multidisciplinary themesinvolving research scientists and practitioners coming from awide range of fields of knowledge. The common link for careerscientists, researchers, and students working in these variedareas is a fundamental interest in the environmental andintrinsic reactions affecting ancient and modern buildingmaterials and structures.

Delegates who presented papers at the 11th EMABM camefrom twenty countries, mainly European, but also from Japan,Canada and the United States, a fact which emphasizes theincreasing attention the event is gaining among the scientificcommunity involved with buildingmaterials around the world.A wide range of themes was discussed during the conference.The three days of presentations were preceded by one day ofworkshops with invited experts, and followed by site visits inthe locale to view monuments, stone deterioration, and alkali–aggregate reaction in a concrete buttresses dam.

Although interest in petrographic techniques seems to bein decline in some countries, the group of delegates included asurprising number of young researchers. The preparation ofstudents in this field of work will guarantee continuation of apowerful and valuable branch of science that provides asignificant contribution to the important economic activitiesassociated with building materials.

One of the challenges of the EMABM is to bring togetherpeople who work on the common topic of building materials,but whose work ranges from life-size investigations to themicro-, and even nano-scale microscope studies. However,this common subject comprises an endless combination

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of techniques and materials. Some of these should behighlighted:

- The composition of cementitious materials and concrete,aiming to improve performance based on an understandingof processes, and on the knowledge of thesematerials, whichare in ever-increasing demand: recycled concrete, textilereinforced concrete, self-compacting concrete, foamconcreteand the use of alternative materials such as rubber tyres

- The assessment and diagnosis of the deterioration ofconcrete, and its potential forensic implications; alkali–aggregate reactions, delayed ettringite formation; samplecollection and thin-section preparation

- Repair and conservation techniques, based on the detailedstudy of oldmortars, natural stone, ceramic bricks, porcelainand stone-ware tiles; the assessment of these delicate,historic materials is being carried out through the applica-tion of new and sophisticated techniques all over Europe.

The study of all the above aspects is being improved as newequipment and methodologies are developed, some of themimported from other branches of science. In fact, although thepetrographic microscopy is still the most common technique,it is complemented and sometimes replaced by othermethodssuch as: Scanning electron microscopy, cathodolumines-cence, confocal laser scanning microscopy, thermal imaging,and powerful software for image analysis.

This wide range of themes reflects a true picture of the multi-faceted concerns that have led to a heightened interest in de-velopingresearch inbuildingmaterials.This is the timetopreserveour culture and heritage but also to ensure the quality and dura-bility of construction industry structures for future generations.

I would like to thank all the authors for their contributions.I hope that the material published in this Special Issue will beuseful for researchers and practitioners working in the field ofbuilding materials, and that it will contribute to a betterunderstanding of the phenomena involved.

Isabel FernandesDepartment and Centre of Geology, Faculty of Sciences,

University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, PortugalE-mail address: ifernand@fc.up.pt.

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