Evaluation of a Surface Treatment to Improve the Erosion Resistance of Coquina Stone at Castillo de San Marcos

摘要

A surface treatment, which was intended to improve the erosion resistance of coquina stone at the Castillo de San Marcos, was evaluated. The commercially-available stone surface treatment was claimed to contain both consolidating and water-repellent agents. Limited, short-term tests intended to simulate two types of erosion and to identify any severe degradation problems were conducted. Erosion of sawn surfaces caused by mechanical abrasion from strokes with a steel brush, and a thin stream of water flow were investigated in the laboratory in different stone orientations. The results showed that, for some test conditions, the erosion resistance of the stone was significantly improved by the treatment. For the other test conditions, however, the erosion resistance of the treated and untreated specimens was not significantly different.