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Effect of Salt Crystallization On Stones of Historical Buildings
Effect of Salt Crystallization On Stones of Historical Buildings
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the chemical and physical properties of the volcanic rocks used as building stones in historical places and
monuments. The chemical weathering effect of salt crystallization on these stones was measured on the laboratory conditions (in most
cases, used samples were very small). For this purpose, the dry weight loss (DWL) test was conducted. The rocks of dacite, andesite and
tuffs of volcanic origin have different durability against salt crystallization. The most stable rocks are dacites (DWL 2.06%) which were
used in the construction of Hittite monuments at Eflatun. The durability of the stones is closely related to their chemical, mineralogical,
petrographical and mechanical properties. The stones used in the historical buildings are generally much more stable than present-day
building stones.
r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Chemical and physical properties; Dacite-andesite; Building stones; Monuments; Konya; Turkey
0360-1323/$ - see front matter r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.12.010
ARTICLE IN PRESS
1454 V. Zedef et al. / Building and Environment 42 (2007) 1453–1457
Thus, it is very important to understand the basic dacites evolved under hydrous conditions at shallow levels
parameters of the Sille andesites and Karakaya dacites, in the continental crust, and probably derived from an
especially their response to salt weathering which related to andesitic parental magma via fractional crystallisation
the environmental pollution as this phenomenon often tie which was probably taken place during the Miocene [8].
to the salt crystallization. In this paper, we aim to present Fresh samples representing the parent rock typically show
the main mineralogical, petrographical, chemical and hypocrystalline porfiritic texture. Microscopic examina-
technical properties of dacites and andesites outcropped tions show that the dacites have approximately 20%
at Karakaya and Sille, respectively. The effect of salt quartz, 50% feldspars (mainly plagioclase as microlites)
crystallization on the strength of these rocks would give an and 30% vitric groundmass. Biotite, pyroxene, hornblende
idea about the preservation of the historical buildings and and olivine crystals can be observed in different dimensions
monuments. within the groundmass. Feldspars, sometimes enclosed tiny
leumontite crystals, are generally resorbed indicating
1.1. Location and geology magmatic corrosion. These stones were probably used in
the Hittite monument at Eflatun, 90 km west of Konya city
The Sille andesites, a Miocene volcanic rock cropping (Fig. 1).
out on the north-western side of Konya (Fig. 1), is There has been three caravansary (a kind of hostel) close
probably the most important building stone of Konya, to small town of Kiziloren (Fig. 1). These caravansaries
used over a time span from at least the Byzantium age until served for passengers from the medieval ages (1200 AD) to
the Present-day. Despite its wide use in the historical recent times (until 1920s). The main stones used in these
buildings of Konya, very little is known about this rock as caravansaries are tuffs with lesser amounts of dacites,
regarding its chemical, technical and in some cases andesites, limestones and conglomerates. These historical
geological features. These andesites, from quarries at Sille, building are out of service now and they are seemingly
close to City of Konya (Central Turkey) have been largely restored from time to time. We examined the rock type of
used in building and reparations in the mosques and tuffs of this construction as the tuffs are the most used
medresse of Konya and other buildings of the cultural stones. The tuffs are volcanic rocks with feldspars, quartz
heritage in this city. The texture is overwhelmingly and vitreous glass as groundmass. The main visual
porfiritic. The main minerals observed are quartz (% 20), differences of this rock from dacites and andesites are its
feldspars (60%) and vitreous glass (20%). Some biotite, texture and the huge dimension of rock forming particles.
pyroxene, chlorite can be seen with some opaque minerals. The texture is perlitic and the particles are up to 3 cm long
Open dacite quarries at Karakaya, approximately 90 km and width. The cement in between the particles is relatively
northwest of Konya (Fig. 1), found within the Karakaya soft with respect to dacites and andesites. The most
volcanic complex which comprises dacite, dacite dikes and weathered stones are seems to be these tuffs on the ruins
pyroclastic rocks. These rocks cover an area of about of the walls of the caravansaries.
2.5 km2 at the hills of Karakaya, Findire and Kometepe The weathered samples collected from rock surfaces of
which were located in the south of Selki Town [7]. This Karakaya dacites are pale grey-pale brown whilst the fresh
samples are greyish and in some cases dark-grey. On the
other hand, the fresh samples of Sille andesites are pinkish
Karakaya while the altered samples are yellowish. According to the
Eflatun
Sille New Zealand Geomechanics Society Standards (1998), the
KONYA weathered volcanic rocks derived from Sille and Karakaya
Kiziloren volcanites can be classified as slightly weathered since these
rocks are discoloured in discontinuity surfaces. On these
Bekdemir
surfaces, there have been some loos rock particles. We
examined these rocks in terms of strength to salt crystal-
lization under the laboratory conditions as well as
mineralogical, chemical and physical aspects.
mineralogical ingredients are determined on 16 samples in andesites typically display porfiritic texture. As mentioned
total. The sampling of fresh rocks was done in the quarries above, they are composed mainly of feldspars, quartz and
of Karakaya, Sille, and ruins of caravansary at Kiziloren vitric groundmass, these observations are also supported
while the weathered samples were undertaken on the loos by XRD analyses. The tuffs have perlitic texture. In
part of the rocks. addition to feldspars, quartz and vitric groundmass, the
The whole rock major element analyses were performed weathered samples and tuffs also have clay minerals. The
using XRF (Philips-PW-1660). For mineral identification, tuffs include tosudite as clay minerals while the weathered
X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical microscopy were samples have illite and zinwaldite. The determination of
employed. LOI of the samples was measured at 1000 1C. texture of the weathered samples was not possible as these
The quantification of salt weathering of the samples was rocks are in the form of free particles (collected from rock
measured by assessing the dry weight loss (DWL) of the surfaces). The density of the fresh rocks is between 2.04
rocks. There have been many laboratory test proposed for and 2.36, while these values are between 1.23 and 1.45 for
DWL determinations. The most used tests are the American weathered samples and tuffs. The water absorption rate of
standard test ASTM (C-88, C-128), the Germany standard the fresh samples is between 3.14 and 12.19. The lowest
test DIN (52111) and the Spanish standard test UNE-EN water absorption rate (2.51%) is recorded in the fresh
(12370). All these test have three stages: immersion (total), samples of Sille andesites. On the other hand, the highest
drying and cooling. We followed the Spanish standard test water absorption value (19.73%) measured in the tuffs. In
for DWL assessments. In this test, the samples were 7 cm general, the fresh samples have lower water absorption
cubes and a 14% w/w Na2SO4 solution was used. In the rates compared to weathered samples and tuffs.
immersion stage, clean and dry rock samples were Whole rock major element data are displayed in Table 2.
introduced into a container and covered with the solution With the exception of the FeO of the tuffs (T-1 and T-2),
at 20 1C for 4 h. In the drying stage, the samples were taken the SiO2, FeO and Al2O3 contents of the samples are
out of the container and settled into the heating cabinet at relatively uniform. The CaO content of the fresh samples of
60 1C for 16 h. The duration of this cycle is 24 h and the dacites and andesites are between 4.74% and 5.51%, while
similar procedure was repeated for 15 days (total 15 cycles). these values are between 2.86% and 3.72% for weathered
The solution was changed every five cycles as the samples samples. The two samples of tuffs, T-1 and T-2, have
lose weight. After 15 days, the tested samples were cleaned 2.50% and 3.90% of CaO, respectively. The maximum and
with pure water to eliminate salt. The samples were then minimum K2O value of the fresh samples is 4.65% (T-1)
dried until a constant weight realized. The dry weight loss and 3.75% (AD-2), respectively. The weathered samples
(DWL %) was calculated at the end of this stage. have 3.00% of K2O on average, while the average Na2O
content of these samples is 2.24%. The Na2O contents of
3. Results the fresh samples are between 2.99% and 4.21%. Except
the tuff samples, the LOI values of the fresh rocks are
Rock type, mineral constituents, texture, density, water lower than one. The LOI values of the weathered samples
absorption rate and origin of the samples are summarized are between 1.65% and 4.20%. The highest LOI values are
in Table 1. Fresh samples of Karakaya dacites and Sille recorded for T-1 (5.14%) and T-2 (4.75%).
Table 1
Rock type of the samples and their some petrographic and physical properties
Sample Rock type Minerals Texture Density (gr/cm3) Water absorption (%) Origin
Note: An, Anortite; Q, Quartz; Au, Augite; Ano, Anortoclase; S, Sanidine; A, Albite; Sa, Sodic anortite; I, Illite; Z, Zinwaldite; T, Tosudite; n.a., not
available.
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1456 V. Zedef et al. / Building and Environment 42 (2007) 1453–1457
The dry weight loss data of the samples are shown in Marked decreases of CaO and MgO from fresh to
Table 3. The tuff samples (T-1, T-2 and T-3) are completely weathered samples indicate high mobility of Ca and Mg
destroyed in the fifth day of the test. DWL measurements elements. According to Moon and Jayawardane[9] lessen-
are not possible for weathered samples as they collected ing amount of CaO and MgO as well as FeO indicates loss
from the rocks surfaces (the used DWL test, Spanish of strength of the rocks. The weathered rocks of Karakaya
Standard Test, needs cubic rocks, 7 7 7 cm). The lowest dacites and Sille andesites have lower Na2O compared to
DWL was measured in Karakaya dacites (AD-5, 2.06%) fresh rocks. This suggests that the Na is also mobile during
while the highest one measured in the Sille andesites (AD-8, weathering. Duzgoren-Aydin et al. [10] reported that as the
35.77%). intensity of weathering increases Ca, Na and K decrease
whereas LOI increases. In general the LOI values of
weathered rocks of dacites and andesites are higher than
4. Discussion and conclusions that of fresh rocks. This may be due to high absorption rate
of the weathered rocks. The highest LOI values are seen in
Exception of FeO contents of T-1 and T-2 samples the tuff samples this may be due to the presence of loos
(tuffs), the overall SiO2, FeO and Al2O3 contents of the texture (perlitic) in these rocks. These tuffs are also having
fresh and weathered samples are very similar indicating soft cement between the particles. Density of the fresh
immobility of these oxides during weathering processes of rocks is higher than that of weathered samples indicating
the fresh rocks. In other words these oxides are much more higher durability of the fresh rocks.
resistant to alteration effects. FeO may be accounted as In the weathered rocks of Karakaya dacites and Sille
mobile for the stones of tuffs, or it can also be interpreted andesites, some clay minerals (illite and zinwaldite, see
the lower FeO content of parental magma which the tuffs Table 1) were observed. One of the main indicators of the
derived. weathering is the appearance of clay minerals in different
variety, amount and type [6,10,11]. The presence of
tosudite minerals in the tuffs of Kiziloren Caravansary
Table 2
Whole rock major element compositions (in weight %) of fresh and may be due to the hydrothermal alteration effect at the
weathered samples cooling stages of the hot lavas.
According to [12], salt crystallization is the most
SiO2 FeO Al2O3 CaO MgO K2O Na2O LOI (%)
powerful weathering agent for rocks. The rocks lose weight
Fresh samples as due to harmful effect of salt which also causes visible
AD-1 62.62 4.21 15.91 5.00 2.35 4.47 3.28 0.76 surface deterioration. During salt crystallization pressure
AD-2 64.10 4.11 16.08 5.05 2.43 3.75 4.21 0.65 crystallization occurs within the pores of rocks, and degree
AD-3 64.20 4.19 16.09 4.94 2.27 4.15 3.76 0.68 of weathering is depends on the degree of salt saturation of
AD-4 66.44 4.47 15.13 4.74 3.35 3.99 2.99 0.64
AD-5 61.96 4.73 16.15 5.51 2.72 4.09 3.09 0.16
the solution and the pore size [13]. The tuffs of Kiziloren
T-1 68.76 1.81 14.39 2.50 0.20 3.95 4.18 5.14 caravansary are completely destroyed after five days of the
T-2 66.21 1.55 14.81 3.90 1.10 4.65 3.82 4.75 DWL test. Thus, it can be concluded that the weakest stone
Weathered samples
against salt crystallization is the tuffs. The most durable
WAD-1 63.90 4.56 16.47 3.19 0.35 3.48 2.06 4.20 stones for salt crystallization are the Karakaya dacites
WAD-2 66.98 4.25 16.20 3.72 0.82 3.48 2.86 1.65 which were probably used by Hittite to construct monu-
WAD-3 64.93 4.95 17.40 2.86 0.40 3.59 1.84 3.90 ment at Eflatun.
WAD-4 65.22 4.73 16.77 3.18 0.67 3.60 2.25 2.62 The stability of the stones against weathering and salt
WAD-5 62.09 4.16 16.38 3.45 0.55 3.50 2.18 3.18
crystallization is strongly depends on their chemistry and
As total iron. physical-mineralogical-petrographical properties.
Table 3
Dry weight loss (%) data from the total immersion test