Historic Environment Scotland (HES) protect and maintain many heritage sites across Scotland,and have found that clay-rich sandstone buildings are susceptible to rapid weathering and decay.When interacting with water clay minerals expand, and subsequently contract when the stone dries.Episodes of contraction exert tensile stresses within the stone, which often exceed its tensilestrength. Thus, these wet-dry cycles lead to fracturing of stone and enhanced weathering.However, the decay mechanisms associated with clay-rich sandstones, and how clay interacts withother properties of the rock to influence decay, remain poorly understood. With climateprojections predicting a wetter future for Scotland, a thorough understanding of how the builtheritage interacts with the environment is imperative.
展开▼
