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The behaviour of consolidated Neapolitan yellow Tuff against salt weathering

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment volume 76, pages 115–124 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Salt crystallization is a strong weathering agent in porous building materials. The crystallization pressure exerted by salt crystals, growing in confined pores, is found to be one of the main causes for damage. This paper presents the results of laboratory experimentation carried out on the Neapolitan Tuff, a pyroclastic rock largely used in Campanian architecture. Several specimens, collected from a historical quarry near the city of Naples, were treated with two different consolidating products: a suspension of nanosilica in water (Syton X30®) and ethyl silicate (Estel 1000®) dispersed in organic solvent (TEOS). Untreated and treated samples were then artificially degraded using salt crystallization tests in order to assess the effectiveness of consolidation treatments. A systematic approach, including mercury intrusion porosimetry, peeling tests and point load test, was employed to evaluate the correlation between the salt crystallization and the micro-structural features of the tuff. In addition, in order to make a correlation between porous structure of materials and susceptivity to salt crystallization, the calculation of the crystallization pressures was performed. In all samples, at the early stage of crystallization, the presence of gypsum was revealed, coming from the precipitation of sulphate ions, introduced during the test, and sodium ions, coming from the zeolites within the stone. Results showed that both consolidants increase the resistance of tuff to salt crystallization, although they induce an increase in crystallization pressure. Ethyl silicate, however, shows a better behaviour in terms of superficial cohesion, even after several degradation cycles.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by POR Calabria FESR project “NANOPROTECH” (NANO PROtection TEchnology for Cultural Heritage).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Arcavacata Di Rende, CS, Italy

    Mauro F. La Russa, Silvestro A. Ruffolo, Michela Ricca & Gino M. Crisci

  2. Instituto de Geociencias IGEO (CSIC-UCM), Jose Antonio Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Mónica Álvarez de Buergo

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali-Sezione di Scienze della Terra, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy

    Cristina M. Belfiore & Antonino Pezzino

Authors
  1. Mauro F. La Russa
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  2. Silvestro A. Ruffolo
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  3. Mónica Álvarez de Buergo
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  4. Michela Ricca
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  5. Cristina M. Belfiore
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  6. Antonino Pezzino
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  7. Gino M. Crisci
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Correspondence to Mauro F. La Russa.

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La Russa, M.F., Ruffolo, S.A., de Buergo, M.Á. et al. The behaviour of consolidated Neapolitan yellow Tuff against salt weathering. Bull Eng Geol Environ 76, 115–124 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0874-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0874-6

Keywords

  • Neapolitan Tuff
  • Salt weathering
  • Stone consolidation
  • Nanosilica