THORBORG VON KONOW

Thorborg von Konow, PhD the leader of Tureida, is a researcher and consultant with a degree in physical- and inorganic chemistry (1971, 1984) and a doctorate in restoration mortars (1997) from Åbo Akademi University. She has roughly 30 years experience of weathering problems with building materials, and specialises in old historic buildings. She has worked as a research scientist at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (1972-85), and as director of product development in a private building technology company (1985-1992). From 1993 to 1997 she worked as a researcher at Åbo Academi University, with support from the Academy of Finland.

International cooperation:

• Cost Action C5 WG5, Lime Technology
• Nordic Forum for Building Lime (comity member)
• Eurolime (Eurocare Project EU 791) started 1991
• RILEM TC Repair Mortars for Historic Masonry started Sept.2003

Photo: Robert Perander

Teaching

• Helsinki University of Technology, postgraduate training 1996-99
• Restoration school at Gotland University, Sweden 2001, 2003
• Tallinn Restoration School, Estonia 1998-2001

Academic commission:

Recent publications

Restoration mortars and concrete

von Konow, Th. (1997) Restaurering och reparation med puts- och murbruk. (Restoration and Repair with Rendering and Masonry Mortar) Dissertation (Åbo Akademi University). Åbo Akademis förlag 1997. Vammala. 127 p. and app. 28 pp.

von Konow, Th. (1998) Mörtel für die Restaurierung: Korngrössenverteilung des Zuschlagstoffes der Mörtel ist wichtiger als alte Rezepturen und Grubenkalk. Bautenschutz + Bausanierung 5/1998 pp.45-46.

Konow Th. von (2003) Aggregate grain size distribution – A major influence on many properties of lime mortars for restoration. Conference EUROMAT 2003, Symposium P2 – Materials and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, EPFL Lausanne (Sept. 2003)
See PDF-Document

Konow Th. von (2003) Restoration Concrete for Historical Constructions – Scientific Studies of Old Concrete Samples from Finland. Conference EUROMAT 2003, Symposium P2 – Materials and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, EPFL Lausanne (Sept. 2003) 
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Konow Th. von (2004) Nidarosdomens historiska bruk. Nordisk kalkforum Seminarium 2003 Trondheim
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Konow Th. von (2005) Theory transformed into practice and the results from practice distorting theories.
Experiences from masonry restoration at the fortress of Suomenlinna in Finland. RILEM Workshop "Repair Mortars for Historic Masonry". Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, 26 - 28 January 2005
See PDF-Document

Salt deterioration

von Konow, Th. (editor) 2002. The Study of Salt Deterioration Mechanisms - Decay of Brick Walls influenced by interior Climate Changes. European Heritage laboratories, Raphaël 1999, The Governing body of Suomenlinna. ISBN 951-9437-29-0

von Konow, Th. 2001. Mechanisms of Brick Deterioration due to Salts: New Results on Salt Behaviour from in-situ Studies at the Suomenlinna Fortress in Finland. Internationale Zeitschrift für Bauinstandsetzen und Baudenkmalpflege. 7. Jahrgang, Heft 6. Z. 675-688.

Historic mortars and ¹⁴C dating

Heinemeier J., Jungner H., Lindroos A., Ringbom Å., von Konow, Th. Rud N. AMS ¹⁴C dating of lime mortar. NIMB Beam Interactions with Materials & Atoms. XIII. Archaeology Applications. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 123 (1997) pp. 487-495.

von Konow Th., Lindroos A. (1997) ¹⁴C dating of lime mortar- preparation of the samlpe, a challenge for the geologist and the mineral chemist. Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistys ISKOS 11/1997 pp. 208-213.

Ceramics

von Konow, Th. Niemi-Pynttäri S, Riihelä P, Wikström L (1998) The conservation and restoraition of the facade relief by Michael Schilkin. Glass, ceramic and related materials. Editor Alice B. Paterakis. Interim Meeting of the ICOM-CC working group. September 1998, Vantaa pp. 154-161.