Regular Article

Wavelet analysis applied to thermographic data for the detection of sub-superficial flaws in mosaics

¹ Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Piazzale E. Pontieri no. 1, 67100 Monteluco di Roio, L’Aquila ( AQ), Italy
² Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio (Coppito 1), 67100 Coppito, L’Aquila ( AQ), Italy

^a e-mail: stefano.sfarra@univaq.it

Received: 20 March 2016
Revised: 28 April 2016
Accepted: 9 May 2016
Published online: 24 June 2016

Abstract

Up to now, the sun-pulse recorded during the heating (day) and cooling (night) phases has not yet been analyzed by using the infrared thermography (IRT) method through the complex wavelet transform (CWT) technique. CWT can be used with the sun-pulse data in a similar way as the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). In addition, CWT preserves the time information of the signal both in the phasegrams and in the amplitudegrams. In this work, a mosaic sample containing artificial flaws positioned at different depths was inspected into the long wave IR spectrum. It is possible to observe that by comparing defective and defect-free areas, a difference in phase during the thermal diffusion appears. The signal reference, measured on the defect-free area, was subtracted from the other measurement points. The resulting signal thermal contrast, representing the difference of the temporal evolutions of the surface temperature above the defective and defect-free positions, was also plotted. Subsequently, the wavelet phase contrast was computed. The solar radiation influencing the sample was estimated bearing in mind the sun path in the sky, the mosaic orientation and the inclination with respect to its local geographical coordinates. Finally, the ambient parameters have been recorded by a control unit. Although the CWT technique did not provided a sound visualization of the shape of the flaws, it permitted to reflect on the heat release coming from the bituminous material behind the statumen layer. Indeed, it is not atypical to find inclined mosaics to be restored.