Headstone Maintenance

• Even the best maintained cemeteries are exposed to the weather, erosion, air pollution, vandalism, and accidents.  This page is meant to address issues related to maintaining marble headstones, or grave markers whose lettering becomes worn and difficult to read.
  
  
• Cemetery Surveys:
  
  
• Photographic and GPS Survey
  
  
  • Start with records on a laptop for all graves to be investigated
  • Add GPS data to the laptop files by GraveID
    • Code-phase GPS for 1-5 meter resolution
    • Carrier-phase (DGPS) for real-time, high precision (< 1 meter)
  • Verify match to database
  • Verify lettering
  • Photograph gravesite and save by GraveID
  • Photograph gravestone and save by GraveID
  • Multiple photos for 3D recovery
    
    
• Surface Scans
  
  
  • Calibrated Photogrammetry cameras
  • Color-Calibrated cameras for archival-quality records
  • Multiple camera positions at fixed distance for later 3D recovery
  • Multiple camera distances for later 3D recovery
  • Direct scanner for 1200+ dpi color corrected scans
  • Laser scanner for depth information
  • Stereo images for depth and surface roughness information
  • Infrared cameras
  • Ultraviolet cameras
  • Ultraviolet lighting, fluorescence photos
  • Post-processing of multiple photographic images for 3D information
    • statistical measures of surface roughness
    • calculate cutting depth, volume to be removed and expected quality of finished cuts
      
      
• Material Properties
  
  
  • Hardness testing with ultrasonic, non-destructive scanners
  • Visible, infrared and ultraviolet reflectance spectroscopy for surface composition
  • Chemical analysis of cut grains to find what has been happening to the stone
  • Neutron activation, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and other non-destructive analysis techniques
  • Time-series 2D and 3D photos to monitor changes year to year, or after treatments and repairs
  • Statistical analysis of hardness and composition relative to human expert classification for repair/replacement decisions
  • Porosity, density, compressive strength, sound speeds, crust thickness and other material properties related to weathering
    
    
• Research and Development
  
  
  • Regressions and recommended settings - Cutting speeds, feed rates, power, temperatures for marble
  • Aging and wear predictions - weather, temperature, rain, snow,
  • Letter variations, carvers, history
  • Letter depth, shape and roughness related to resistance to weathering
  • Looking into the stone with ultrasound, infrared, ultraviolet - seeing now-invisible letters.
  • Testing of marbles from various suppliers to verify properties and predict wear
  • Cooperative ventures to set industry standards for stone for gravestone use.
  • Recommended procedures for cleaning, resurfacing, re-cutting, repair and replacement decisions
  • Cutting volume for smooth edges as a proxy for human-selected replacements
  • Identification of lichens, mosses, fungi, bacteria, algae - infesting gravestones
    
    
• Other Services
  
  
  • Cutting of letters for new/old monuments and gravestones
  • Training of monument cutters
  • Resurfacing gravestones and monuments
  • Polishing and cleaning services
  • Replication of monuments
  • Repair of monuments
  • Post-processing of recorded GPS to improve accuracy
  • Post-processing of multiple photos for 3D
    • Save 3D files by GraveID
  • Correction and rectification of cemetery maps
    
    
• Internet Publishing
  
  
  • Maps of particular cemeteries with genealogy and biographical data connected to GraveID
  • Cemeteries of the world
  • Cemetery records database design
  • Cemetery records standards
  • Data collection
  • Mapping of the worlds cemeteries
  • Cemetery maps and finding guides
  • Save Outdoor Sculpture - monuments in need of repair, replacement or replication
  • Saving Graves