INFLUENCE OF FABRIC ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIMESTONES

The textural and physical properties of three Hungarian limestones; a compact, a porous and a travertine were studied in detail. Analytical methods included micro-textural analyses and laboratory testing of rock mechanical properties, such as density, water absorption, US sound velocity, UCS and indirect tensile strength. Cylindrical specimens were tested in air dry and water saturated conditions. Rock mechanical tests with combination of fabric analyses have shown that strength parameters depend not only on amount of effective porosity but also on the type of calcite cement and pore-size distribution. The porosity alone does not necessarily reflect the influence on water absorption on the properties of limestone.