Ice-Deicing and Salt Mist Artificial Weathering of'Rosa Arronches'Portuguese Granite:Performance as Ornamental and Dimension Stone

摘要

The"Rosa Arronches"granite(RA)is a natural stone quarried in the Santa Eulalia region(SE Portugal)traded and exported to several countries in the world.This granite has been used as ornamental and as dimension stone.In order to assess the behaviour of this natural stone when submitted to frost and sodium chloride atmosphere,sound samples were exposed to these two aggressive environments.Petrographic and major mechanical properties(water absorption under vacuum,water absorption at atmospheric pressure,flexural strength under concentrated load and uniaxial compressive strength)were determined,before and after the artificial weathering,in order to analyse the variations that might occur in their characteristic values.The results revealed a decrease in the characteristics of all the properties evaluated.However,this decrease does not compromise its use as dimension stone,regarding the European standardization,although some chromatic changes were observed and may have an impact when used as ornamental stone.Moreover,the degradation curve obtained for the mass loss results that have been caused by salt mist decay,has revealed the development of the stone decay over time in this aggressive atmosphere.The results obtained represent a new insight into the mechanical response of this granite,to be considered especially in those regions affected by these two decay mechanisms.