ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Revised Proposal: Understanding moisture movement in fibrous plaster components used in historic ceilings by neutron radiography

Abstract: Fibrous plaster is a composite material composed of gypsum plaster reinforced with fibrous materials such as hessian. It has been used widely, since 1856, for interior decoration in theatres and other high-status buildings, providing a unique aesthetic and historical value. Much attention was drawn towards fibrous plaster following the collapse of the London Apollo theatre ceiling in 2013 where over 70 people were injured. Since this incident there have been further unexpected ceiling collapses, such as the Empress Ballroom, Blackpool (2017) and the Savoy Hotel, London (2019), highlighting the urgent need to understand how the material degrades. Over the past 6 years researchers at the University of Bath have been investigating the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of fibrous plaster. These studies have highlighted the importance of the fibres in providing structural integrity to the material, and also, the deleterious effects moisture can have on its strength. The diffusion of moisture within the composite plaster matrix and fibres, and how these influence its movement, is key to understanding biological and physical degradation mechanisms. This study will, for the first time, employ neutron radiography to characterize the response of historic and new fibrous plaster composites to moisture intrusion. The findings will help elucidate the failure mechanisms and support the conservation and restoration of fibrous plaster helping maintain public safety.

Principal Investigator: Professor Richard Ball
Experimenter: Dr Barrie Dams
Experimenter: Dr Genoveva Burca
Experimenter: Miss Xinyi Kong
Experimenter: Dr Valeria Cascione
Local Contact: Dr Ranggi Ramadhan
Experimenter: Dr Ilda Tole

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520032

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2520032

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Professor Richard Ball et al; (2026): Revised Proposal: Understanding moisture movement in fibrous plaster components used in historic ceilings by neutron radiography, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520032

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.