抄録
In Southeast Asia, many monuments made from stone or brick deteriorate due to physical and biological causes. This degradation is significantly affected by moisture migration and accumulation in the monuments. In this study, a big Buddha in Sukhothai (Thailand) was investigated. Numerical simulations of heat and moisture transfer and storage in the Buddha were performed. The time profile of the evaporation rate from the Buddha surface was calculated, and the relationship between the evaporation rate and discoloration of the Buddha surface was examined. A possibility was shown that the constituent of the plaster or brick transported from the inside to the surface of the Buddha with water movement caused the discoloration.
