The influence of fabric and water content on selected rock mechanical parameters of travertine, examples from Hungary

Two types of Hungarian travertine a massive less porous and a laminated porous type were tested under laboratory conditions. Tests aimed to assess the performance and durability of the stone to be used as replacement stone in reconstruction works. Analyses included the determination of density, ultrasonic wave velocity, effective porosity and the uniaxial compressive strength of both air-dry and water saturated specimens. The mechanical and physical properties have been compared and the relationships between the different petrophysical constituents have been analyzed by using statistical methods. Linear correlation was found between density and ultrasonic pulse velocity of both dry and saturated samples. According to regression analyses uniaxial compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity; effective porosity and ultrasonic pulse velocity are exponentially related. The fabric and especially the porosity have the highest influence on the strength and durability of travertine. Tests have demonstrated that massive low porosity travertines with relatively homogenous micro-fabric have higher strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity than less homogenous laminated types. By using the equations of statistical analyses it is possible to assess the strength of travertine in the field applying standard non-destructive tests.

[1]  G. Tsiambaos,et al.  Considerations on strength of intact sedimentary rocks , 2004 .

[2]  Atiye Tugrul,et al.  Engineering aspects of limestone weathering in Istanbul, Turkey , 2000 .

[3]  Siegfried Siegesmund,et al.  Ultrasonic wave velocities as a diagnostic tool for the quality assessment of marble , 2002, Geological Society, London, Special Publications.

[4]  Balázs Vásárhelyi,et al.  Influence of water content on the strength of rock , 2006 .

[5]  A. B. Hawkins,et al.  Sensitivity of sandstone strength and deformability to changes in moisture content , 1992, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology.

[6]  E. T. Brown,et al.  Rock characterization testing and monitoring , 1981 .

[7]  Richard Přikryl,et al.  Some microstructural aspects of strength variation in rocks , 2001 .

[8]  G. Melissa,et al.  The relationship between tensile and compressive strengths for selected sandstones as influenced by index properties and petrographic characteristics , 1994 .

[9]  R. Přikryl,et al.  The effect of rock fabric on P-wave velocity distribution in amphibolites , 1999 .

[10]  S. Kourkoulis.  Fracture and Failure of Natural Building Stones , 2006 .

[11]  Influence of the water saturation for the strength of volcanic tuffs , 2002 .

[12]  Rafael Fort,et al.  Durability estimation of porous building stones from pore structure and strength , 2004 .

[13]  Altay Acar,et al.  Estimation of strength and deformation properties of Quaternary caliche deposits , 2008 .

[14]  Rossana Bellopede,et al.  Ultrasonic sound test on stone: Comparison of indirect and direct methods under various test conditions , 2006 .

[15]  K. T. Chau,et al.  Microcracking and grain size effect in Yuen Long marbles , 1996 .

[16]  O. Gunaydin,et al.  Predicting the sawability of carbonate rocks using multiple curvilinear regression analysis , 2004 .

[17]  B. Vásárhelyi,et al.  Statistical Analysis of the Influence of Water Content on the Strength of the Miocene Limestone , 2005 .

[18]  V. Volkov,et al.  DETERMINATIONS OF CORRELATION RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STRENGTH AND SOME PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ROCKS , 1970 .

[19]  V. Palchik.  Influence of Porosity and Elastic Modulus on Uniaxial Compressive Strength in Soft Brittle Porous Sandstones , 1999 .

[20]  Ákos Török.  Hungarian dimensional stones: an overview [Die Naturwerksteine Ungarns: ein Überblick] , 2007 .

[21]  C. Hecht,et al.  Relations of Rock Structure and Composition to Petrophysical and Geomechanical Rock Properties: Examples from Permocarboniferous Red-Beds , 2005 .

[22]  Li Li,et al.  A general relationship between porosity and uniaxial strength of engineering materials , 2003 .

[23]  N. Sabatakakis,et al.  Index properties and strength variation controlled by microstructure for sedimentary rocks , 2008 .

[24]  Saffet Yagiz,et al.  Predicting uniaxial compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and index properties of rocks using the Schmidt hammer , 2009 .

[25]  Test results and empirical formulas of rock mechanical parameters of rhyolitic tuff samples from Eger's cellars , 2003 .

[26]  A. Tugrul,et al.  The effect of weathering on pore geometry and compressive strength of selected rock types from Turkey , 2004 .

[27]  Ákos Török.  INFLUENCE OF FABRIC ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIMESTONES , 2006 .

[28]  T. Onodera,et al.  Relation between texture and mechanical properties of crystalline rocks , 1980 .

[29]  A. B. Hawkins,et al.  Aspects of rock strength , 1998 .

[30]  S. Kahraman.  Evaluation of simple methods for assessing the uniaxial compressive strength of rock , 2001 .

[31]  B. Vásárhelyi,et al.  Some observations regarding the strength and deformability of sandstones in dry and saturated conditions , 2003 .

[32]  B. Vásárhelyi,et al.  A Discussion On the Decrease of Unconfined Compressive Strength Between Saturated And Dry Rock Samples , 2007 .

[33]  Weakly nonlocal continuum theories of granular media: restrictions from the Second Law , 2003, cond-mat/0310520.

[34]  Robert E. Jackson,et al.  Porosity dependence and mechanism of brittle fracture in sandstones , 1973 .

[35]  Á. Török.  Black crusts on travertine: factors controlling development and stability , 2008 .

[37]  V. Palchik,et al.  The influence of grain size and porosity on crack initiation stress and critical flaw length in dolomites , 1997 .

[38]  Engineering Characterization Of Fissured, Weathered Dolerite And Vesicular Basalt , 1986 .