Engineering Geology

Engineering Geology

The Assessment of Salt Weathering and Freeze-thaw Effect on Strength and Durability of Upper Red Formation Sandstones

Authors
Abstract
Strength and durability of sandstones and their influences from natural conditions, are the most important factors which should be considered as engineering materials. In this study, the effect of freeze-thaw and salt crystallization phenomena on strength and durability of upper red formation sandstones collected from southern part of Qazvin province was investigated. Nine specimens of sandstones (specified by A, B, C, CG, S, S1, Tr, Min and Sh) were collected from different part of studied area, then their physical and mechanical characteristics were determined. In order to assessing the effect of freeze-thaw on physical and mechanical characteristics of sandstones, 60 cycles of freeze-thaw test was performed. Also in order to investigate the effect of salt crystallization on strength of studied sandstone, sodium sulphate crystallization test (100% weight solution of Na2SO4) was carried out in 20 cycles. Physical and mechanical characteristics of sandstones such as point load index, Brazilian tensile strength, wave velocity (Vp) and weight loss were computed after different cycles. To evaluate the effect of freeze-thaw and salt crystallization phenomena on durability of sandstones, slake durability test was conducted on specimens subjected to mentioned processes and changes occurred in slake durability index in 15 cycles were investigated. Based on results obtained from current study, it could be concluded that in comparison to freeze-thaw, salt crystallization can considerably reduce the strength and durability of sandstones and deteriorate them. Also it was found that index tests such as point load index, Brazilian tensile strength, wave velocity (Vp) and weight loss can predict the behavior of sandstones in different cycles of freeze-thaw and salt crystallization tests.
Keywords

1. ASTM D4644., "Standard test method for slake durability of shale and similar weak rocks: annual book of ASTM Standards", vol 04.08. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA (1998).## 2. ASTM., C830., "Standard test methods for apparent porosity, liquid absorption, apparent specific gravity, and bulk density of refractory shapes by vacuum pressure", ASTM Stand (2000). ## 3. Benavente D., García M.A., Fort R., Ordóñez S., "Durability estimation of porous building stones from pore structure and strength", Engineering Geology 74 (2004) 113-127. ## 4. Bellanger M., Homand F., Remy J.M., "Water behaviour in limestones as a function of pores structure: application to frost resistance of some Lorraine limestones", Engineering Geology 36 (1) (1993) 99-108. ## 5. Bell F.G., Lindsay P., "The petrographic and geomechanical properties of some sandstones from the Newspaper Member of the Natal Group near Durban", South Africa. Engineering Geology 53 (1999) 57-81. ## 6. Bell F.G., "The physical and mechanical properties of the Fell Sandstones", Northumberland, England. Engineering Geology 12 (1978) 11-29. ## 7. Beier N.A., Sego D.C., "Cyclic freeze–thaw to enhance the stability of coal tailings", Cold Regions Science and Technology 55 (2009) 278-285. ## 8. Chen C.H., Yeung M.R., Mori N., "Effect of water saturation on deterioration of welded tuff due to freeze-thaw action", Cold Regions Science and Technology 38 (2004) 127-136. ## 9. Coussy O., "Deformation and stress from in-pore drying-induced crystallization of salt", J Mech Phys Solids 54 (2006) 1517-1547. ## 10. Dei L.M., Mauro M., Baglioni P., Del Fa C.M., Fratini F., "Growth of crystal phases in porous media", Langmuir 15 (1999) 8915-8922. ## 11. Dobereiner L., De Freitas M.H., "Geotechnical properties of weak sandstone", Geotechnique 36 (1986) 79-94. ## 12. Evans I.S., "Salt crystallization and rock weathering: A review", Revue Ge ´omorphologie Dynamique 19 (1970) 153-177. ## 13. Grossi C.M., Brimblecombe P., Harris I., "Predicting long term freeze-thaw risks on Europe built heritage and archaeological sites in a changing climate", Science of the Total Environment 377 (2) (2007) 273-281. ## 14. Goudie A.S., Viles H.A., "Salt weathering hazard. Wiley, London 15. ISRM, 1981. Rock Characterization, Testing and Monitoring. In: Brown, E.T. (Ed.), ISRM suggested methods. Pergamon Press, Oxford (1997). ## 16. ISRM, "The complete ISRM suggested methods for rock characterization, testing and monitoring: 1974–2006. In: Ulusay, R., Hudson, J.A. (Eds.), Suggested methods prepared by the commission on testing methods. ISRM, Compilation Arranged by the ISRM Turkish National Group, Kozan ofset, Ankara (2007). ## 17. Jamshidi A., Nikudel M.R., Khamehchiyan M., "Predicting the long-term durability of building stones against freeze-thaw using a decay function model", Cold Regions Science and Technology 92 (2013) 29-36. ## 18. Karaca Z., Deliormanli A.H., Elci H., Pamukcu C., "Effect of freeze-thaw process on the abrasion loss value of stones", International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 47 (2010) 1207-1211. ## 19. La Iglesia A., Gonza ´ lez V., Lo ´pez-Acevedo V., Viedma C., "Salt crystallization in porous construction materials", I. Estimation of crystallization pressure. J Cryst Growth 177 (1997) 111-11. ## 19. Mutlutűk M., Altindag R., TűrK G., "A decay function model for the integrity loss of rock when subjected to recurrent cycles of freezing-thawing and heating–cooling", International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science 41 (2) (2004) 237-244. ## 20. Proskin S., Sego D., Alostaz M., "Freeze–thaw and consolidation tests on Suncor mature fine tailings (MFT)", Cold Regions Science and Technology 63 (2010) 110-120. ## 21. Ruedrich J., Kirchner D., Siegesmund S., "Physical weathering of building stones induced by freeze-thaw action: a laboratory long-term study", Environ Earth Sci 63 (2011) 1573-1586. ## 22. Rossi-Doria, "Laboratory Tests on Artistic Stonework. Studies and documents on the cultural heritage", No. 16. UNESCO (1985) 235-242. ## 23. Rodriguez-Navarro C., Doehne E., Sebastian E., "How does sodium sulfate crystallize? Implications for the decay and testing of building materials", Cem Concr Res 30 (2000) 1527-1534. ## 24. Rodriguez-Navarro C., Doehne E., "Salt weathering: influence of evaporation rate, supersaturation and crystallization pattern", Earth Surf Processes Landf 24 (1999) 191-20. ## 25. Saad A., Guedon S., Martineau F., "Microstructural weathering of sedimentary rocks by freeze-thaw cycles: experimental study of state and transfer parameters", Comptes Rendus Geoscience 342 (2010) 197-203. ## 26. Scherer G.W., "Crystallization in pores. Cem Concr Res 29 (1999) 1347-1358. ## 27. Scherer G.W., "Stress from crystallization of salt", Cem Concr Res 34 (2004) 1613-1624. 28. Shakoor A., Bonelli R.E., "Relationship between petrophysical characteristics", engineering index properties and mechanical properties of selected sandstones. Bulletin Engineering Geology Environmental 28 (1991) 55-71. ## 29. Tan X., Chen W., Tian H., Cao J., "Laboratory investigations on the mechanical properties degradation of granite under freeze–thaw cycles", Cold Regions Scienceand Technology 68 (2011)130-138. ## 30. Tan X., Chen W., Tian H., Cao J., "Laboratory investigations on the mechanical properties degradation of granite under freeze-thaw cycles",Cold Regions Science and Technology 68 (2011) 130-138. ## 31. Takarli M., Prince W., Siddique R., "Damage in granite under heating/cooling cycles and water freeze-thaw condition", International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences 45 (2008) 1164-117. ## 32. Thaulow N., Sahu S., "Mechanism of concrete deterioration due to salt crystallization", Mater Charact 53 (2004) 123-127. ## 33. Taylor J.M., "Pore space reduction in sandstone. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 34 (1950) 701-716. ## 34.Ulusay R., Tureli K., Ider M.H., "Prediction of engineering properties of a selected litharenite sandstone from its petrographic characteristics using correlation and multivariable statistical techniques", Engineering Geology 37 (1994) 135-157. ## 35. Yavuz H., Ugur I., Demirdag S., "Abrasion resistance of carbonate rocks used in dimension stone industry and correlations between abrasion and rock properties", International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 45 (2008) 260-267. ## 36. Yavuz H., Altindag R., Sarac S., Ugur I., Sengun N., "Estimating the index proper-ties of deteriorated carbonate rocks due to freeze-thaw and thermal shock weathering", International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 43 (2006) 767-775. ## 37. Yu S., Oguchi C.T., "Role of pore size distribution in salt uptake, damage, and predicting salt susceptibility of eight types of Japanese building stones", Eng Geol 115 (2010) 226-236. ## 38. Winkler E.M., Singer P.C., "Crystallization pressure of salt in stone and concrete", Geol SocAm Bull 83 (1972) 3509-3513. ## 39. Zhang S.J., Lai Y.M., Zhang X.F., Pu Y.B., Yu W.B., "Study on the damage propagation of surrounding rock from a cold-region tunnel under freeze-thaw cycle condition", Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 19 (2004) 295-302. ##