Using new materials
Using titanium for the Acropolis was proposed by Professor Theodoros Skoulikides, founding member of the Restoration Service. «Titanium is now used in all restoration work in Greece and abroad. It is lighter than iron but its main advantage it is that it is more resistant to corrosion, even in a marine environment, and has properties that are similar to marble,» Ioannidou explained. «It does not expand more than the marble and does not cause it to fracture, which is what happens with iron.» «We are restrained but not conservative in the use of new metals,» said Katy Babanika, responsible for conservation at the Propylaea. «The Italians used polymer on the Pantheon and in a year and a half they had problems. We used a protective material on a Propylaea column; it is the seventh year and we are still monitoring the results. We are continuing research into using titanium, as well as cement mortar and quartz sand, which only we use. That’s why we don’t make mistakes – we are more careful. We monitor the works constantly and say that the study cycle for the materials has not been completed yet. This does not happen anywhere else.»
