Destructive analysis

Description

Any analysis method that requires a nonreturnable portion of the object or structure to be removed for analysis. Destructive tests include physical analysis methods such as compression strength of a stone or tensile strength of a fiber. They also include chemical analysis methods, such as infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction or electron microscopy, although many of the chemical analysis methods require such small amounts of materials that sampling damage is negligible.

Synonyms and Related Terms

zerstôrende Analyse (Deut.); analyse destructive (Fr.);

Authority

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996