Salt weathering affects rocks, building stones, mortars, bricks and pa
intings. The aim of this paper is to present a digital speckle system
that allows to study efflorescence mechanisms on stone samples and, at
the same time, to measure the damage due to salt crystals accumulated
inside the material. Some tests have been performed on quarry samples
with characteristics similar to those of some ancient artifacts of L'
Aquila, submitted to accelerated salt crystallisation (NaCl) cycles; p
reliminary experiments have been effected.