Biodeterioration of the Wooden Roof of the Phnom Penh National Museum

Abstract

Within the framework of a training program in Cambodia, during a visit to the National Museum in Phnom Penh, the most important in the Kingdom of Cambodia, the authors noted the presence of some signs of a termite attack in the secondary elements of the roof of an inner garden. Following this observation, a further investigation was performed in order to evaluate the phytosanitary condition of the wooden bearing element of the roof. The inspection highlighted the presence of severe decay, constituting a real danger for the integrity of the roof; consequently, an intervention of restoration, conservation and safeguard was considered to be necessary and urgent. This paper presents the results of the investigation of the conservation state of the load bearing wooden structures of the National Museum in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia; moreover, a proposal is put forward for a properly designed intervention to safeguard against the termites in the long term.