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Pore-structure and water transport properties of surfacetreated building stones

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Abstract

This paper describes the details of a laboratory investigation aimed at ascertaining the effect of penetrating surface treatments on the micro-porosity and water transport properties of three building stones used in the construction of historic buildings and monuments within Europe. The pore-structure and morphology of treated and untreated stone specimens were assessed using a combination of helium autopycnometry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Water repellence and transport properties were evaluated using the Karsten tube and magnetic resonance imaging techniques respectively.

It was found that surface penetrating treatments have a pore-refining effect on the stone matrix, the extent of internal alteration being dependent on the initial porestructure. A treatment efficiency index has been established for evaluating the performance of treated surfaces.

Résumé

Cet article présente d’une manière détaillée une étude en laboratoire avec pour objectif d’identifier l’effet de traitements de surfaces sur la micro-porosité et les propriétés de transport de l’eau de trois principales sortes de pierre de construction utilisées dans la réalisation d’édifices historiques et de monuments en Europe.

La structure des pores et la morphologie d’échantillons de pierre traitées et non-traitées ont été évaluées au moyen d’une combinaison d’hélium auto-pycnométrie, de porosimétrie de mercure et de techniques de microscopie par balayage d’électrons. Les propriétés de transport-hydrophobiques ont été évaluées en utilisant la méthode du tube Karsten et la technique de l’image de résonance magnétique.

Les résultats de l’étude ont montré que les traitements aux surface pénétrantes ont un effet de raffinement des pores sur la matrice de la pierre mais que la mesure de changement intérieur dépend de la structure initiale des pores. Un index d’efficacité de traitement a été établi pour l’évaluation de la performance des surface traitées.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Surrey, UK

    S. O. Nwaubani & M. Mulheron

  2. Gifford and Partners, Southampton, UK

    G. P. Tilly

  3. IBAC, Aachen, Germany

    B. Schwamborn

Authors
  1. S. O. Nwaubani
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  2. M. Mulheron
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  3. G. P. Tilly
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  4. B. Schwamborn
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Nwaubani, S.O., Mulheron, M., Tilly, G.P. et al. Pore-structure and water transport properties of surfacetreated building stones. Mat. Struct. 33, 198–206 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02479415

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02479415

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