Use of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for the characterization of porosity in marble

Confocal microscopy offers several advantages over conventional light optical microscopy, including the ability to control depth of field, elimination or reduction of background information away from the focal plane and the capability to collect serial optical sections and three dimensional imaging from thick specimens. Although the technique is widely used in many scientific fields, especially in biology and medicine, the use of confocal laser scanning microscopy is relatively unknown in the field of building materials. In the following article, an example of application of this technique to geomaterials is given, together with a description of sample preparation and a practical example of investigation of the porosity of bowing marbles.