ETH Zurich announced on October 8, 2026, that Robert J. Flatt and Benjamin Dillenburger received an ETH Collaborative Grant for research into how building stone deteriorates.
Printing controlled weaknesses
The project will investigate contour scaling, where a layer beneath a stone's surface loses cohesion and separates. This affects molasse sandstone used in many historic buildings on the Swiss Plateau.
The researchers plan to print artificial stones with controlled variations and weak regions, then expose them to severe weathering conditions in the laboratory. Unlike individual natural samples, printed specimens can be reproduced for comparison.
A tool for understanding deterioration
ETH says the work uses printing technology developed by Pietro Odaglia at the Chair of Digital Building Technologies. A new desktop printer can vary material within a sample.
The aim is to understand the damage, recognize it sooner, and explore ways to stop it. These are research goals, rather than an announced finished conservation treatment.
Source: ETH Zurich's October 8 announcement (German). Photograph: Pietro Odaglia / Chair of Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich.