Assessment of the Current State of Qanibay al-Rammah Complex (908 AH/1502 AD), as a Procedure Precedes the Restoration Process

Abstract

An assessment should be made of the current state of the historic buildings before starting in any intervention procedures. Where, any procedures of conservation of the building must be outrun by a perfect diagnosis according to the international conventions. Chemical, physical, mechanical properties and structural status are extremely important to give information about the current condition of Qanibay al-Rammah madrasa, which situated within Saladin square in Historic Cairo. This building has been affected by several deterioration factors since the construction and still suffering damage factors at the moment, which led to the occurrence of several damage aspects to the building, such as fissures in architectural elements, granular disintegration, loss of stone material, peeling of limestone surface, splitting in building material, the efflorescence of salts, pitting in limestone surface, black spots in stone surface, hard black crust, etc. The aim of this study is evaluation of the condition of Qanibay al-Rammah madrasa by two methods, firstly by different scientific techniques such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), EDX analytical methods, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Polarizing Light Microscopy (PLM), and Stereo Microscopy, and secondly by Numerical analysis based on 3D finite elements analysis to determine the critical places of the building. The followed methodology in this study allowed us to the assessment of the current status of the building by various scientific techniques to determine the real causes of damage, which must be taken into account during the intervention procedures.