Deterioration of stone materials in the Angkor monuments; Cambodia

摘要

The Angkor monuments in Cambodia are builtmainly of sandstone and laterite. This paper mainly describes thedeterioration of sandstone blocks. The sandstone in themonuments can be classified into three types based on the colour,texture, chemical composition and constituent mineral; grey toyellowish brown sandstone, red sandstone and greenish greywacke.The deterioration is distinct in grey to yellowish brown sandstonebecause of its low compressive strength, high porosity, welldeveloped bedding, and constituent minerals susceptible toalteration such as feldspar and biotite. The main causes ofdeterioration identified are chemical weathering, efflorescencerelated to bat guano, and biodeterioration by the growth of trees,algae and lichens. An water supply is also indispensable for deterioration.