Abstract
Engineering properties of building stones can vary because of degradation by weathering agents. Thermal fluctuation is one of the most important agents on deteriorations such as sugaring, bowing, cracking and spalling of marble. As a result, physical and mechanical properties of marble used in the construction of old and/or modern structures are adversely affected by time. On the other hand, some properties of building stones are always required for decision of rehabilitation works. Several kinds of conventional tests have been suggested for characterization of stones, to measure their properties or to evaluate conservation or repair works. However, in most cases, sampling from historical buildings is not possible. Therefore, nondestructive testing methods are often suggested for the prediction of weathering grade of building stones. One of the most practical methods for similar purposes is ultrasonic pulse velocity measurement, which can be performed easily. The main goal of this study is attainment of sound empirical correlations between the ultrasonic pulse velocity and engineering properties of previously deteriorated marble. Experimental works were conducted on seven different specimen categories of a coarse-grained marble having different micro-crack frequencies induced by both cyclical heating–cooling and freeze–thaw actions. The experimental results indicated that physical and mechanical properties of Muğla marble can be reliably estimated for different environmental cases by ultrasonic pulse velocities. P-wave velocities in dry and saturated cases are two sound indicators of both the apparent porosity and the coefficient of capillary absorption, and whereby the sugaring type of deterioration for coarse-grained marbles.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ASTM D2845–08 (2008) Standard test method for laboratory determination of pulse velocities and ultrasonic elastic constants of rock
Bandini A, Berry P (2013) Influence of marble’s texture on its mechanical behaviour. Rock Mech Rock Eng 46:785–799
Battaglia S, Franzini M, Mango F (1993) High sensitivity apparatus for measuring linear thermal expansion: preliminary results on the response of marbles. II Nuovo Cimento 16:453–461
Binda L, Lenzi G, Saisi A (1998) NDE of masonry structures: use of radar tests for the characterisation of stone masonries. NDT&E Int 31(6):1222–1239
Brace WF (1961) Dependence of fracture strength of rocks on grain size. In: Proceedings of Symposium Rock Mechanics 4th 99–103
BS EN 1925 (1999) Natural stone test methods–determination of water absorption coefficient by capillarity
Carfagni GF (1999) On the thermal degradation of marble. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 36:119–126
Chaki S, Takarli M, Agbodjan WP et al (2008) Influence of thermal damage on physical properties of a granite rock: porosity, permeability and ultrasonic wave evolutions. Constr Build Mater 22:1456–1461
Chang C, Zoback MD, Khaksar A (2006) Empirical relations between rock strength and physical properties in sedimentary rocks. J Pet Sci Eng 51:223–237
Christaras B (2003) P-wave velocity and quality of building materials. In: Yuzer E, Ergin H, Tugrul A (eds) Proceedings of the international symposium industrial minerals and building stones, Istanbul, pp 295–300
Darot M, Reuschle T (2000) Acoustic wave velocity and permeability evolution during pressure cycles on thermally cracked granite. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 37:1019–1026
Draebing D, Krautblatter M (2012) P-wave velocity changes in freezing hard low-porosity rocks: a laboratory-based time-average model. Cryosphere 6:1163–1174
Ferrero AM, Marini P (2001) Experimental studies on the rock mechanical behaviour of two thermal cracked marbles. Rock Mech Rock Eng 34(1):57–66
Fredrich JT, Evans B, Wong TF (1990) Effect of grain size on brittle and semibrittle strength: implications for micromechanical modelling of failure in compression. J Geophys Res 95:10907–10920
Ghobadi MH, Babazadeh R (2015) Experimental studies on the effects of cyclic freezing–thawing, salt crystallization, and thermal shock on the physical and mechanical characteristics of selected sandstones. Rock Mech Rock Eng 48:1001–1016
Grinzato E, Marinetti S, Bison PG, Concas M, Fais S (2004) Comparison of ultrasonic velocity and IR thermography for the characterisation of stones. Infrared Phys Technol 46:63–68
Kahraman S (2007) The correlations between the saturated and dry P-wave velocity of rocks. Ultrasonics 46:341–348
Karakul H, Ulusay R (2013) Empirical correlations for predicting strength properties of rocks from P-wave velocity under different degrees of saturation. Rock Mech Rock Eng 46:981–999
Karakul H, Ulusay R (2015) Multivariate predictions of geomechanical properties of rocks by ultrasonic velocities, physical and mineralogical properties under different degrees of saturation. In: Proceedings of the 13th ISRM congress, Montreal, Canada, Paper No. 122
Kessler DW (1919) Physical and chemical tests of the commercial marbles of the United State, Technologic Papers of the Bureau of Standards, vol 123. Government Printing Office, Washington
Khandelwal M, Ranjith PG (2010) Correlating index properties of rocks with P-wave measurements. J Appl Geophys 71:1–5
Khanlari G, Abdilor Y (2015) Influence of wet–dry, freeze–thaw, and heat–cool cycles on the physical and mechanical properties of Upper Red sandstones in central Iran. Bull Eng Geol Environ 74:1287–1300
Koch A, Siegesmund S (2004) The combined effect of moisture and temperature on the anomalous expansion behaviour of marble. Environ Geol 46:350–363
Köhler W (1991) Untersuchungen zu Verwitterungsvorgangen an Carrara-Marmor in Potsdam-Sanssouci.-Berichte zu Forschung und Praxis der Denkmalpflege in Deutschland, Steinschaden—Steinkonservierung, vol 2, pp 50–53
Luque A, Agudo ER, Cultrone G, Sebastian E, Siegesmund S (2011) Direct observation of microcrack development in marble caused by thermal weathering. Environ Earth Sci 62:1375–1386
Maev RG, Green RE, Siddiolo AM (2006) Review of advanced acoustical imaging techniques for nondestructive evaluation of art objects. Res Nondestruct Eval 17(4):191–2004
Mahmutoglu Y (1998) Mechanical behaviour of cyclically heated fine-grained rocks. Rock Mech Rock Eng 31(3):169–179
Mahmutoglu Y (2006) The effects of strain rate and saturation on a micro-cracked marble. Eng Geol 82:137–144
Moropoulou A, Labropoulos KC, Delegou ET, Karoglou M, Bakolas A (2013) Non-destructive techniques as a tool for the protection of built cultural heritage. Constr Build Mater 48:1222–1239
O’Connel RJ, Budiansky B (1974) Seismic velocities in dry and saturated cracked rock. J Geophys Res 79:5412–5426
Olsson WA (1974) Grain size dependence of yield stress in marble. J Geophys Res 79:4859–4862
Rosengreen KJ, Jaeger JC (1968) The mechanical properties of an interlocked low-porosity aggregate. Geotechnique 18:317–326
Ruedrich J, Kirchner D, Siegesmund S (2011) Physical weathering of building stones induced by freeze–thaw action: a laboratory long-term study. Environ Earth Sci 63:1573–1586
Ruedrich J, Knell C, Enseleit J, Rieffel Y, Siegesmund S (2013) Stability assessment of marble statuaries of the Schlossbrücke (Berlin, Germany) based on rock strength measurement and ultrasonic wave velocities. Environ Earth Sci 69:1451–1469
Sassoni E, Franzoni E (2014) Influence of porosity on artificial deterioration of marble and limestone by heating. Appl Phys A 115:809–816
Shushakova V, Fuller ER, Siegesmund S (2012) Microcracking in calcite and dolomite marble: microstructural influences and effects on properties. Environ Earth Sci. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-1995-2
Shushakova V, Fuller ER, Heidelbach F, Mainprice David, Siegesmund S (2013) Marble decay induced by thermal strains: simulations and experiments. Environ Earth Sci 69:1281–1297
Siegesmund S, Dürrast H (2011) Physical and mechanical properties of rocks. In: Siegesmund S, Snethlage R (eds) Stone in architecture, 4th edn. Springer, Berlin, pp 97–222
Siegesmund S, Weiss T, Vollbrecht A, Ullemeyer K (1999) Marbles as a natural building stone: rock fabrics, physical and mechanical properties. Z Dtsch Geol Ges 150(2):237–257
Siegesmund S, Ullermeyer K, Weiss T, Tschegg EK (2000) Physical weathering of marbles caused by anisotropic thermal expansion. Int J Earth Sci 89:170–182
Siegesmund S, Ruedrich J, Koch A (2008) Marble bowing: comparative studies of three different public building facades. Environ Geol 56:473–494
Thill RE, Bur TR (1969) An automated ultrasonic pulse measurement system. Geophysics 34:101–105
Török A, Vasarhelyi B (2010) The influence of fabric and water content on selected rock mechanical parameters of travertine, examples from Hungary. Eng Geol 115:237–245
Tuğrul A (2004) The effect of weathering on pore geometry and compressive strength of selected rock types from Turkey. Eng Geol 75:215–227
Tuğrul A, Zarif IH (2000) Engineering aspects of limestone weathering in Istanbul, Turkey. Bull Eng Geol Environ 58(3):191–206
Ulusay R, Hudson JA (eds) (2007) The complete ISRM suggested methods for rock characterization, suggested methods for determining sound velocity. ISRM, Ankara, pp 117–120
Vasconcelos G, Lourenço PB, Alves CAS, Pamplona J (2008) Ultrasonic evaluation of the physical and mechanical properties of granites. Ultrasonics 48:453–466
Weiss T, Rasolofosaon PNJ, Siegesmund S (2002) Ultrasonic wave velocities as a diagnostic tool for the quality assessment of marble. In: Siegesmund S, Weiss T, Vollbrecht A (eds) Natural stone, weathering phenomena, conservation strategies and case studies, Geological Society of London special publications, p 149–164
Weiss T, Siegesmund S, Fuller ER (2003) Thermal degradation of marble: indications from finite-element modelling. Build Environ 38(9–10):1251–1260
Weiss T, Saylor DM, Fuller ER, Siegesmund S (2004) Prediction of the degradation behaviour of calcareous rocks via finite-element modelling. In: 10th International congress on deterioration and conservation of stone, Stockholm, pp 163–170
Wong RHC, Chau KT, Wang P (1996) Microcracking and grain size effect in Yuen Long marbles. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 33(5):479–485
Wyllie MRJ, Gregory AR, Gardner LW (1956) Elastic wave velocities in heterogeneous and porous media. Geophysics 21:41–70
Wyllie MRJ, Gregory AR, Gardner LW (1958) An experimental investigation of factors affecting elastic wave velocities in porous media. Geophysics 23:459–493
Yasar E, Erdogan Y (2004) Correlating sound velocity with density, compressive strength and Young’s modulus of carbonate rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 4:871–875
Zeisig A, Siegesmund S, Weiss T (2002) Thermal expansion and its control on the durability of marbles. In: Siegesmund S, Weiss T, Vollbrecht A (eds) Natural stone, weathering phenomena, conservation strategies and case studies, vol 205. Special Publications Geological Society, London, pp 65–80
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mahmutoğlu, Y. Prediction of weathering by thermal degradation of a coarse-grained marble using ultrasonic pulse velocity. Environ Earth Sci 76, 435 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6770-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6770-y