Application of the Electrical Resistivity Tomography Technique in the Assessment of Historical Buildings in the State of Aguascalientes, Mexico

Diagnosis of historic buildings is relevant because it contributes to their preservation in adequate and safe conditions; in the present work, the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) technique is applied on horizontal and vertical planes to study aspects of humidity, to recognize the internal geometry of elements, and to detect resistivity anomalies in two old buildings in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico; these buildings are the Temple of the Inmaculada Concepción and Terán House. In the first, the electrical profiles obtained from the subsoil show a zone of low resistivity associated with a saturated layer that damages the wall due to rising dampness. On the second, the resistivity images obtained from measurements on two walls with humidity problems show the source and define some flow patterns. It could be concluded that using the obtained results ERT technique generates valuable information for the preservation of built heritage and, therefore, is viable for the diagnosis of historical buildings, mainly in the study of humidity and discontinuities in walls.