Ewch i’r prif gynnwys

Achub gwaith haearn treftadaeth rhag effeithiau andwyol rhwd

Astudio dull effeithiol o wella effeithiau rhwd i helpu ein hamgueddfeydd i ddiogelu gwaith haearn ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol.

Protected hull of ss Great Britain
Protected hull of ss Great Britain, photo courtesy of Nick Sarebi, https://www.flickr.com/people/34517490@N00/

Heritage iron objects are rapidly rusting away. Without intervention, iconic attractions such as SS Great Britain will be significantly damaged by corrosion in a matter of decades.

…a truly ground breaking piece of conservation…making the ship…accessible and highly engaging for people of all ages.

Professor Lord Robert Winston

Tackling corrosion

Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.

Our researchers exposed an absence of evidence-based management strategies for the display and storage of heritage ironwork in the UK.

They identified the corrosion mechanisms driving the destruction of this iron and, through experiment, were able to measure the effectiveness of desiccation and chloride desalination treatments to prevent or slow its corrosion. The team studied corrosion on the hull of the SS Great Britain and found corrosion would make the ship an unviable visitor attraction in just 25 years.

ss Great Britain

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ss Great Britain is a museum ship and former passenger steamship, with advanced design features that heralded modern ship design. She was the first ocean-going, iron-hulled ship and the longest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1854.

Preserving principles

The guidelines have been adopted by English Heritage, the British Museum and other institutions. They underpin the use of desiccation to preserve Brunel's iron ship, SS Great Britain, as an international heritage site. The study has also made a significant contribution to local and national economies.


Dyma’n harbenigwyr

Yr Athro David Watkinson

Yr Athro David Watkinson

Professor of Conservation

Email
watkinson@caerdydd.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)29 2087 4249