Salt Degradation in Stone of Old Buildings

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

V. P. de Freitas (Author) FEUP; J. M. P. Q. Delgado (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Defect and Diffusion Forum

Pages: 337-342

ISSN: 1012-0386

Publisher: Trans Tech Publications Ltd

Indexing

ISI Proceedings

ISI Web of Science

Scopus

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/DDF.334-335.337

Abstract (EN): The crystallization of soluble salts is a major mechanism of degradation of some building materials, including stone. This mechanism of deterioration is based on the pressure exerted by the formation of salt structures in porous materials, with increased volume and is dependent on the type of salts involved and the size and arrangement of pores. When the pressure exceeds the internal strength of the material, and particularly when the salt formations undergo cycles of crystallization and dissolution in response to fluctuating levels of humidity, the deterioration of materials typically becomes apparent. It is therefore essential to understand the phenomenon of crystallization and dissolution of salts, i.e., to know the conditions of crystallization of each salt, depending on relative humidity and air temperature. For this purpose we developed an experimental work, using four samples of stone (one limestone and three granites), which consists, initially, to study the variation of the water absorption coefficient with and without soluble salts.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6