Laboratory simulation showing the influence of salt efflorescence on the weathering of composite building materials

A common decay scenario in old and new buildings was simulated: the effects on masonry structures of salt efflorescence or subefflorescence produced by the rise of saline solution. Eight different types of masonry wall each made up of a combination of different construction materials (brick, calcarenite and four types of mortar were combined as follows: pure lime mortar, mortar + air entraining agent, mortar + pozzolana, mortar + air entraining agent + pozzolana) have been tested. These materials have different textures (strong anisotropy in brick, irregular-shaped pores in calcarenite, retraction fissures or rounded pores in mortars which also show a reduction of porosity along the contact area with the stone), different hydric behaviours (under total immersion brick + mortar specimens absorb water faster than calcarenite + mortar specimens) and different pore size distribution (brick shows unimodal pore distribution, whereas calcarenite and mortars are bimodal). In the salt weathering test, mortars interlayered with masonry blocks did not act as sacrificial layers. In fact, they allowed salts to rise through them and crystallize on the brick or calcarenite pieces causing the masonry structure to decay. Only the addition of an air-entraining agent partially hindered the capillary rise of the salt-laden solutions.     

The Market Gate of Miletus: damages, material characteristics and the development of a compatible mortar for restoration

The indoor exhibit of the Market Gate of Miletus is unique for an archaeological monument. The reconstruction of the gate was done in such a way that most marble fragments were removed leaving cored marble columns 3–4 cm in thickness. These cored columns were mounted on a steel construction and filled with different mortars or filled with specially shaped blocks of brick combined with mortar. All the missing marble elements were replaced by copies made of a Portland cement based concrete, which is compositionally similar to the original building materials. During the Second World War the monument was heavily damaged by aerial bombardment. For 2 years the Market Gate of Miletus was exposed to weathering, because a brick wall protecting the gate was also destroyed. The deterioration phenomena observed are microcracks, macroscopic fractures, flaking, sugaring, greying, salt efflorescence, calcitic-sinter layers and iron oxide formation etc. The rapid deterioration seems to be due to indoor atmospheric effects, and also by a combination of incompatible materials (e.g. marble, steel, mortar, concrete, bricks etc.). Compatible building materials like mortars or stone replacing materials have to be developed for the planned restoration. The requirements for restoration mortars are chemical-mineralogical and physical-mechanical compatibilities with the existing building materials. In detail this means that the mortar should ensure good bonding properties, adapted strength development and not stain the marble when in direct contact. The favoured mortar was developed with a hydraulic binder based on iron-free white cement and pozzolana based on activated clay. A special limestone and quartz sand mixture was used as an aggregate. The cement was adjusted using chemical additives. Specially designed tests were applied extensively to prove whether the developed mortar is suitable for the restoration of this precious monument.     

Acidic Rocks as Aggregates in Concrete: Engineering Properties,Microstructures and Petrologic Characteristics

In this research, the possibility of replacing different portions of the normally used aggregate by acidic rocks was investigated. These rock types outcrop at the northern part of Eastern Desert, southwest Ras Gharib area where large quantities of good quality acidic rocks are available their. Portland cement concrete is a composite material made up of the hydrated cement matrix, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate. The scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX) has been applied to investigate several aspects of Portland cement concrete microstructure. The topics investigated so far include the influence of aggregate composition on the development of the cement paste-aggregate interface and the formation of calcium silicate hydrate CSH/calcium silicate aluminate CSA formation. The silicate gel coated the aggregates in the concrete paste and crystallized into well defined needle like shape, cotton shape as well as euhedral to subhedral crystals of silicate/alumiante and ettringite minerals with free lime librated from the hydrolysis process. The free lime can react again with the aggregates leading to the formation of cementing materials which increase strength and durability of the concrete paste by increasing the interfacial bonds between the used aggregates.     

Decay and preservation of stone in modern environments

Stone objects decay in all environments, but the modes of decay vary from one region to another. In the modern industrial countries acid deposition has accelerated the decay of stone. Many objects that survived centuries of weathering without serious damage have, in the present century, decomposed beyond recognition. The black crusts seen on stone structures mostly contain gypsum formed by SO₂ reactions with calcareous minerals. These crusts exfoliate, destroying the sculptural form. Because of the absence of proven technology to treat and restore these objects, the caryatids at the Acropolis had to be moved indoors to save them from further disfiguration.In arid climates, the salts in stone and the meteorologic conditions combine to disrupt stone structures. The Great Sphinx at Giza is a prominent example of this mode of stone decay. In humid, tropical regions, such as in southern India, hydrolysis disrupts the mineral structure, causing rapid damage even to such durable stone as granite.The human effort to save the deteriorating structures has often aggravated the problem. The sandstone at the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington has, because of the protective acrylic coating, suffered greater damage than the similar but unprotected sandstone at a nearby school building.It appears that proper management can greatly help to reduce the decay of the stone. A scientifically designed cleaning can inhibit the formation of crusts and the accumulation of efflorescences. The absence of the crusts and efflorescence and application of appropriate impregnants, which consolidate yet maintain the "breathability" of stone, may prolong the life of historic structures.     

Origin of salts in stone monument degradation using sulphur and oxygen isotopes: First results of the Bourges cathedral (France)

The crystallisation of soluble sulphate salts is one of the most important factors of stone monument degradation. The origin of these salts is variable: marine, air pollution, building or restoration material. The lack of certainty about these sources represents a problem for restoration campaigns. The use of sulphur and oxygen isotopic tracers allows to discriminate the origins of materials and some stone deterioration patterns like black crusts (e.g. [Šrámek J., 1988. Sulfur Isotopes in the revealing corrosion mechanism of stones. 6th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone,. Proceedings, ed. J. Ciabach. Nicholas Copernicus University, Torun, Poland, 341–345.]). First results obtained on the Bourges cathedral (France) show that the sulphur and oxygen isotopic composition of sulphates from external (atmospheric pollution) and internal (mortars, plasters and sulphates coming from stone sulphide oxidation) origins constitute well differentiated poles. The isotopic composition of sulphates implied in different stone deterioration patterns is well explained by a combination of these poles. The present study will be extended to other French monuments located in different lithological and hydroclimatic settings where contributions of sea salts and ancient chemical treatments are suspected.     

Use of clay as a pozzolona in high strength Portland cement and its thermal activation

In this investigation local clay from Cherat mines, Nowshera District, NWFP, Pakistan, has been tested as a pozzolanic material in high strength Portland cement. Thermal treatments were performed as a means of activation of the clay. It was found that thermal treatment of the clay can increase its pozzolanic activity. Different blended mortars, containing different amounts of clay, activated at different temperatures were studied for compressive strength, consistency, and setting times. It was concluded that the mechanical properties of the blended cements were mainly governed by the percentage of incorporation of the calcined clay. Blended cement composition has been formulated, with optimal results of 20% calcined clay at a temperature of 600℃.     

Engineering properties of unfired clay masonry bricks

The shortage of low cost and affordable housing in the UK has led to many investigations into new building masonry materials. Fired clay masonry bricks are conventionally used for mainstream masonry wall construction but suffer from the rising price of energy plus other related environmental problems such as high energy usage and carbon dioxide emission. The use of stabilised unfired clay bricks for masonry construction may solve these problems.This paper reports on the engineering properties of unfired clay bricks produced during the first industrial trial of unfired clay material development carried out at Hanson Brick Company, in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, under the Knowledge Exploitation Fund (KEF) Collaborative Industrial Research Project (CIRP) programme. The mixes were formulated using a locally available industrial by-product (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag — GGBS) which is activated with an alkaline (lime or Portland cement) combined with clay soil. Portland cement was not used in the formulation of the unfired stabilised masonry bricks, except as a control, which is a significant scientific breakthrough for the building industry. Another breakthrough is the fact that only about 1.5% lime was used for GGBS activation. This level of lime is not sufficient for most road construction applications where less strength values are needed and where 3–8% lime is required for effective soil stabilisation. Hence, the final pricing of the unfired clay bricks is expected to be relatively low.The laboratory results demonstrate that the compressive strength, moisture content, rate of water absorption, percentage of void, density and durability assessment (repeated 24-hour freezing/thawing cycles) were all within the acceptable engineering standards for clay masonry units. The paper also discusses on the environmental performance of the unfired clay in comparison to the bricks, used in mainstream construction of today. The bricks produced using this technology can be used for low-medium cost housing and energy efficient masonry wall construction.     

The water transfer properties and drying shrinkage of aerial lime-based mortars: an assessment of their quality as repair rendering materials

Water (in the solid, liquid and vapour state) is one of the main factors that drive construction materials to deterioration. To assess the quality and durability of a repair rendering mortar, thus ensuring its protective function in the masonry structure, it is fundamental to study the behaviour of this mortar towards water. Mortars were elaborated with a calcitic dry hydrated lime, a calcareous aggregate, a pozzolan, a lightweight aggregate, a water-retaining agent and a plasticiser. The effect of different binder-to-aggregate proportions on the mortars’ hygric behaviour was assessed by performing free water absorption and drying, capillary uptake, hydraulic conductivity and water vapour permeability tests. Another aspect that was considered in the assessment of mortar quality was the drying shrinkage that was measured by means of a non-standardised device. It has been found that a larger amount of water is absorbed by mortars with higher lime content, whilst faster drying and higher permeability to water and water vapour are obtained in mortars with higher aggregate content. The hygric behaviour as well as the drying shrinkage of mortars has been interpreted taking into account the differences in microstructure and pore system between mortars.     

The influence of building materials on salt formation in rural environments

Blocks of limestone and sandstone used in walls of the Manasija Monastery complex showed damage caused by the efflorescence and subflorescence of different salts in a low-pollution rural environment. In addition to common salts such as thenardite, thermonatrite, trona and gypsum, a small amount of eugsterite and darapskite was also present. Although these sodium and sodium–calcium salts formed where cement mortar was used for repairs, the lithological type and chemical composition of the substrate also had an influence on the development of distinct salts. The interaction between limestone and sandstone (substrates) and a solution rich in sodium (without calcium) was successfully simulated in the laboratory. The presence of gypsum and sodium–calcium sulphate, as experimental products, solely on the limestones indicated that, in addition to the cement-mortar solution, part of the calcium required for the formation of calcium and double sodium–calcium salts could occur from this substrate.     

多年冻土区高等级公路特殊路基长期降温效果研究

气候变暖背景下,块石路基及通风管-封闭块石基底复合路基成为多年冻土区高等级公路冷却路基的主要结构形式. 为探明不同直径块石层的渗流特征和规律,开展了立方排列球体室内风洞试验,一方面获得了渗透率和惯性阻力系数及其与球体直径间的统计关系;另一方面得到了球体层内部压力梯度与渗流速度呈二次非线性关系. 基于该试验得到的参数和关系,采用多孔介质中流固耦合传热模型,通过有限体积法模拟了柴木铁路块石路基的降温效果,并利用实测数据验证了模型及参数的可靠性. 在此基础之上,以青藏高等级公路特殊路基为原型,使用该传热模型开展了封闭块石基底路基和通风管-块石复合路基长期冷却降温效果的数值模拟研究. 结果表明：封闭块石基底路基和通风管-封闭块石复合路基在研究期内均有降温效果,可以提高路基下人为上限,而块石夹层路基在一定时期内可以提高冻土上限,但下部土体温度升高,长期降温效果较差.     

Patterns of halite (NaCl) crystallisation in building stone conditioned by laboratory heating regimes

The crystallisation of soluble salts within the pores of the stone is widely recognised as a major mechanism causing the deterioration of the stone-built architectural heritage. Temperature, in turn, is one of the main controls on this process, including salt precipitation, the pressure of crystallisation and the thermal expansion of salts. Most laboratory experiments on decay generated by salts are just carried out with convective heating regimes, while in natural environments building stones can undergo radiative and convective heating regimes. The thermal response of stone to these different heating regimes is noticeably different and might influence the crystallisation patterns of a salt within a stone. The aim of this work is to raise awareness on the different patterns of crystallisation of NaCl within a porous stone tested with different heating regimes (convection and radiation) and the implications that this could have on the design of experimental modelling of natural weathering conditions in laboratory simulations. Results show that heating regime affects the sodium chloride distribution within a stone with high percentage of microporosity. In this case, radiation heating facilitates the generation of subefflorescences, while convection heating promotes efflorescences. This has a clear implication both on the stone decay in natural environments and on the methodologies for testing salt decay, as subefflorescences are more destructive than efflorescences. In this sense, the use of convective heating in laboratory experimentation might underestimate the potential damage that sodium chloride may generate. This counsels the use of radiation heating test methods in addition to convection for the laboratory study of salt crystallisation.     

Coupled Modeling of Temperature Distribution and Evolution in Cemented Tailings Backfill Structures that Contain Mineral Admixtures

Cemented paste backfill (CPB, a mixture of tailings, water and binder) is widely utilized to fill underground mine voids. To achieve a good, economical performance, one approach is to proportionally use mineral admixtures such as fly ash and slag as partial substitutes for Portland cement. Binder hydration is one of the most significant factors that can generate heat within hydrating CPB structures, which in turn, influences the mechanical and hydraulic properties of CPB, as well as the pore structure within CPB. However, the temperature evolution due to the hydration of Portland cement that contains fly ash or slag is different from that of hydration with solely Portland cement. Hence, in consideration of the heat generated by both binder hydration and transferred between CPB and its surrounding media, a numerical model is developed to predict and determine the temperature development within CPB that contains mineral admixtures. After that, data from field and laboratory studies are employed to validate the developed model. The validation results demonstrate a good consistency between the model and the field and laboratory studies. Consequently, the proposed model is applied to simulate and determine the temperature evolution with time via mineral admixtures, binder content, initial rock and CPB temperatures, stope geometry, backfilling rate, curing time and backfilling strategy. The obtained results will contribute to better designs and preparation of CPB mixtures, as well as predict the temperature distribution within CPB structures.     

A Comprehensive Review of Development and Properties of Flyash-Based Geopolymer as a Sustainable Construction Material

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Globally, cement is the highest utilized pozzolanic material in construction. Consequently, yearly ordinary Portland cement is manufactured in enormous...     

From micron-sized needle-shaped hydrates to meter-sized shotcrete tunnel shells: micromechanical upscaling of stiffness and strength of hydrating shotcrete

Knowledge on the stresses in shotcrete tunnel shells is of great importance, as to assess their safety against severe cracking or failure. Estimation of these stresses from 3D optical displacement measurements requires shotcrete material models, which may preferentially consider variations in the water–cement and aggregate–cement ratios. Therefore, we employ two representative volume elements within a continuum micromechanics framework: the first one relates to cement paste (with a spherical material phase representing cement clinker grains, needle-shaped hydrate phases with isotropically distributed spatial orientations, a spherical water phase, and a spherical air phase; all being in mutual contact), and the second one relates to shotcrete (with phases representing cement paste and aggregates, whereby aggregate inclusions are embedded into a matrix made up by cement paste). Elasticity homogenization follows self-consistent schemes (at the cement paste level) and Mori–Tanaka estimates (at the shotcrete level), and stress peaks in the hydrates related to quasi-brittle material failure are estimated by second-order phase averages derived from the RVE-related elastic energy. The latter permits upscaling from the hydrate strength to the shotcrete strength. Experimental data from resonant frequency tests, ultrasonics tests, adiabatic tests, uniaxial compression tests, and nanoindentation tests suggest that shotcrete elasticity and strength can be reasonably predicted from mixture- and hydration-independent elastic properties of aggregates, clinker, hydrates, water, and air, and from strength properties of hydrates. At the structural level, the micromechanics model, when combined with 3D displacement measurements, predicts that a decrease of the water–cement ratio increases the safety of the shotcrete tunnel shell.     

Raw mix designing, clinkerization and manufacturing of high-strength Portland cement from the limestone and clay of Darukhula Nizampur, Nowshera District, North-West Frontier Province （N.W.F.P.）, Pakistan

This paper covers the detailed version of the potential raw material deposits at Darukhula and the adjacent areas of Nizampur, the manufacturing of high-strength Portland cement samples from the same material and comparison of the physical and chemical parameters for resulting cement with British and Pakistan standard specifications, which include compressive strength, setting time, consistency, lechatelier expansion, Blaine and insoluble residue. It was found that the raw material available in the study area meets the standard specifications and the area is feasible for the cement plant installation. The area can provide raw material which is quite sufficient for the running of a cement plant.     

Drying of salt-contaminated masonry: MRI laboratory monitoring

Drying of masonry specimens was monitored by means of a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. The external surfaces stayed wet for longer if NaCl was present instead of pure water only. This corroborates many practical observations that salts aggravate dampness in masonry. A slower evaporation process and not hygroscopicity was the cause. That suggests that salt-induced dampness may, in general, arise simply from changes in the drying process of masonry materials. That also implies that the height and depth at which crystallization occurs in walls may depend on the relative equilibrium humidity (RHeq) and other properties of salts that influence drying of porous materials. Evaporation rates of free surfaces of pure water and saturated NaCl solution were measured by a gravimetric technique. The results indicate that slow drying of salt-contaminated materials is not due only to the lower RHeq of salt solutions. The effective surface of evaporation is likely to be reduced perhaps due to blocking of pores by salt crystals. Final salt-distribution maps of the specimens show that: (a) salts may affect the inner materials of the masonry, even in evaporation-induced processes that lead crystallization to occur predominantly on the external surface; (b) distinct internal distribution patterns occur if masonry composition varies. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Petrography and decay of a marly limestone in the cloister of a medieval cathedral in Sicily

This paper deals with a significant process of decohesion of a marly limestone, taking place in the cloister of the medieval Cathedral of Cefalù, a pleasant town on the northern coast of Sicily. After desalination with deionised water and consolidation with ethyl silicate, the decay of the stone became faster. The aim of our study is to characterise the stony material and investigate the observed decay phenomena. The stone, that is a poor building material indeed, is characterised by means of petrographical, chemical and physical analyses on samples taken from the monument. Furthermore, experimental tests are performed in the laboratory in order to highlight the causes of incompatibility between the stone and the applied treatments.     

Changing climate, changing process: implications for salt transportation and weathering within building sandstones in the UK

Salt weathering is a crucial process that brings about a change in stone, from the scale of landscapes to stone outcrops and natural building stone façades. It is acknowledged that salt weathering is controlled by fluctuations in temperature and moisture, where repeated oscillations in these parameters can cause re-crystallisation, hydration/de-hydration of salts, bringing about stone surface loss in the form of, for example, granular disaggregation, scaling, and multiple flaking. However, this ‘traditional’ view of how salt weathering proceeds may need to be re-evaluated in the light of current and future climatic trends. Indeed, there is considerable scope for the investigation of consequences of climate change on geomorphological processes in general. Building on contemporary research on the ‘deep wetting’ of natural building stones, it is proposed that (as stone may be wetter for longer), ion diffusion may become a more prominent mechanism for the mixing of molecular constituents, and a shift in focus from physical damage to chemical change is suggested. Data from ion diffusion cell experiments are presented for three different sandstone types, demonstrating that salts may diffuse through porous stone relatively rapidly (in comparison to, for example, dense concrete). Pore water from stones undergoing diffusion experiments was extracted and analysed. Factors controlling ion diffusion relating to ‘time of wetness’ within stones are discussed, (continued saturation, connectivity of pores, mineralogy, behaviour of salts, sedimentary structure), and potential changes in system dynamics as a result of climate change are addressed. System inputs may change in terms of increased moisture input, translating into a greater depth of wetting front. Salts are likely to be ‘stored’ differently in stones, with salt being in solution for longer periods (during prolonged winter wetness). This has myriad implications in terms of the movement of ions by diffusion and the potential for chemical change in the stone (especially in more mobile constituents), leading to a weakening of the stone matrix/grain boundary cementing. The ‘output’ may be mobilisation and precipitation of elements leading to, for example, uneven cementing in the stone. This reduced strength of the stone, or compromised ability of the stone to absorb stress, is likely to make crystallisation a more efficacious mechanism of decay when it does occur. Thus, a delay in the onset of crystallisation while stonework is wet does not preclude exaggerated or accelerated material loss when it finally happens.     

Effect of swelling inhibitors on the swelling and stress relaxation of clay bearing stones

Clay-containing stones such as Portland Brownstone (USA), Villarlod Molasse (Switzerland) and Tarifa Sandstone (Spain), are expected to weather as a result of wetting and drying cycles. During drying events, contraction of the drying surface leads to stresses approaching the tensile strength of the stone. However, we have found that the magnitude of these stresses is reduced by the ability of the stone to undergo stress relaxation. In this paper we describe novel methods to determine the magnitude of the stresses and the rate at which they develop and relax. We also discuss the influence of swelling inhibitors on the magnitude of swelling and the rate of the stress relaxation of these stones. The implications of our findings for the understanding of damage due to swelling of clays are discussed.Special Issue: Stone decay hazards