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Building stones when submitted to wear conditions can change their appearance and eventually lose the characteristics for which they were chosen, leading to expensive and undesired material replacement. The physical–mechanical properties of the stones should fit their application purposes to ensure the desired durability, as in covering floors submitted to intense foot traffic. This paper presents the results of the evaluation carried out of some properties of the stone floor, composed of honed finished slabs of granite (Branco Micaela) and gabbronorite (Nero Impala), applied in a commercial zone for 10 years. The assessment of colour, roughness and gloss were carried out in 105 slabs. Beyond the colour differences, granite is lighter than gabbronorite, though both stones have chromatic homogeneity. There are also differences in surface roughness and gloss, with Branco Micaela showing a higher roughness and a lower gloss. Mineralogical composition, mainly the presence of micas, and the grain size govern the polishing of the stones, which affect the roughness and gloss. Nero Impala has large minerals and shows better polishing, whilst Branco Micaela, with more contacts and detachable micas, is more susceptible to losing mineral fragments, consequently showing higher roughness and less gloss. There is a wear difference between the areas of high and low pedestrian foot traffic, though these differences do not significantly modify the aesthetic characteristics of the floor. The use of honed finishing proved to be a good option to prevent the undesirable evolution of surface characteristics.
Luís Sousa. Behaviour of hard stones submitted to different foot traffic. Environmental Earth Sciences 2019, 78, 680 .
AMA StyleLuís Sousa. Behaviour of hard stones submitted to different foot traffic. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2019; 78 (24):680.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís Sousa. 2019. "Behaviour of hard stones submitted to different foot traffic." Environmental Earth Sciences 78, no. 24: 680.
Martinamor granite has been used for centuries in the monumental buildings of Salamanca city. In this study, the fracturing pattern of the Martinamor granite outcrops was evaluated in order to assess the possibility of supplying material for the restoration of heritage monuments. Several joint sets with a mean joint spacing lower than one meter compose the fracturing pattern, making the massive exploitation of this granite impossible. Only small blocks for restoration can be obtained; therefore, the outcrops should be protected for such purpose. The area of outcrops and ancient quarries, as well as that of mining activities from the same period, should be preserved as examples of historical extraction techniques and as a remembrance of our geological-materials-based society. Several proposals are presented for the geoconservation of the site.
Luís Sousa; José Lourenço; Dolores Pereira. Suitable Re-Use of Abandoned Quarries for Restoration and Conservation of the Old City of Salamanca—World Heritage Site. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4352 .
AMA StyleLuís Sousa, José Lourenço, Dolores Pereira. Suitable Re-Use of Abandoned Quarries for Restoration and Conservation of the Old City of Salamanca—World Heritage Site. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (16):4352.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís Sousa; José Lourenço; Dolores Pereira. 2019. "Suitable Re-Use of Abandoned Quarries for Restoration and Conservation of the Old City of Salamanca—World Heritage Site." Sustainability 11, no. 16: 4352.
Siegfried Siegesmund; Luís Sousa; Rubén Alfonso López-Doncel. Editorial to the topical collection in Environmental Earth Sciences “Stone in the architectural heritage: from quarry to monuments—environment, exploitation, properties and durability”. Environmental Earth Sciences 2018, 77, 730 .
AMA StyleSiegfried Siegesmund, Luís Sousa, Rubén Alfonso López-Doncel. Editorial to the topical collection in Environmental Earth Sciences “Stone in the architectural heritage: from quarry to monuments—environment, exploitation, properties and durability”. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2018; 77 (21):730.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiegfried Siegesmund; Luís Sousa; Rubén Alfonso López-Doncel. 2018. "Editorial to the topical collection in Environmental Earth Sciences “Stone in the architectural heritage: from quarry to monuments—environment, exploitation, properties and durability”." Environmental Earth Sciences 77, no. 21: 730.
The exploitation of granite resources and the consequent processing create several economic opportunities that provide the creation of infrastructures and services. This flourishing activity is based on the available resources which need to be identified and protected through an effective land use planning. In this study, the evaluation of the granite resources in an exploitation area was performed. The fracturing and the quality of the outcrops are fundamental factors to be considered during ornamental stone exploration, but for the evaluation of the available resources, land use planning constraints should be considered. All the collected data were processed in a geographic information system to determine the potential extractive areas. Considering the several limitations, namely active quarries and legal constraints, only 41.3% of the study area can be used for installing new quarries. Considering the fracturing limitations, these new quarries, with a mean depth and mean deposit yield of 12.5 m and 12.5%, respectively, will supply about 2.67 × 106 m3 of granite. The results highlight the importance of an integrated evaluation of the natural stone resources since large areas not necessarily mean abundant resources.
Iva Santos; Luís Sousa; José Lourenço. Granite resource evaluation: example of an extraction area in the north of Portugal. Environmental Earth Sciences 2018, 77, 608 .
AMA StyleIva Santos, Luís Sousa, José Lourenço. Granite resource evaluation: example of an extraction area in the north of Portugal. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2018; 77 (17):608.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIva Santos; Luís Sousa; José Lourenço. 2018. "Granite resource evaluation: example of an extraction area in the north of Portugal." Environmental Earth Sciences 77, no. 17: 608.
Historically granite is one of the most applied building materials worldwide. Building stones should accomplish several properties required by different testing materials standards. Salt weathering affects the aesthetical properties of the stones and eventually diminish their durability. The use of weathered granites has increased in the last several decades, but their behavior under adverse environmental conditions requires continued investigation. The use of salt for the prevention of ice formation in colder climates can have harmful consequences on high-porosity stones. Twenty-eight different stones, mostly granitoids, all of them often used as dimensional building stones, were subjected to the salt bursting test. The porosity and the pore network are important parameters in salt weathering; therefore, the pore radii distribution and capillary water uptake were measured. The capillary pores and related porosity are the main factors controlling the behavior of the studied stones under salt action. However, the pore radii size and distribution also plays an important role. In some cases, the salt action is only visible after a high number of test cycles, thus making the actual salt test standards unrealistic.
Luís Sousa; Siegfried Siegesmund; Wanja Wedekind. Salt weathering in granitoids: an overview on the controlling factors. Environmental Earth Sciences 2018, 77, 502 .
AMA StyleLuís Sousa, Siegfried Siegesmund, Wanja Wedekind. Salt weathering in granitoids: an overview on the controlling factors. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2018; 77 (13):502.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís Sousa; Siegfried Siegesmund; Wanja Wedekind. 2018. "Salt weathering in granitoids: an overview on the controlling factors." Environmental Earth Sciences 77, no. 13: 502.
Marbles have been used by human beings for the creation of buildings, monuments and art since antiquity. Impressive architecture and art all over the world are still being constructed from marble today. The Portuguese Estremoz marble is one of the important marble varieties used for these objects. The name Estremoz is used for many of the varieties, exploited and sold from this region. The present study gives an updated summary on the geological, mineralogical and rock physical characteristics with special attention to the potential physical weathering behaviour. Ten representative marble varieties extracted and sold in this region were chosen for analysis with regard to their mineralogical composition, microfabric and their thermal, thermohygric and bowing behaviour. Experimental bowing tests, carried out on selected samples, have been analysed and compared to the results measured at the State Theatre in Darmstadt. The mineralogical composition is similar for all samples, even though the colours range from white, to pinkish and dark grey. Monochromatic colours are seldom. Randomly distributed veins and spots in different colours determine the aesthetic properties. The main component is calcite (87–98%), while two samples show a lower amount of dolomite (3 and 11%). The microfabric of the studied marbles are quite different, with grain sizes ranging between 40 µm and 2.5 mm. Distribution of grain sizes are equi- and inequigranular to seriate. The grain boundary geometry ranges from polygonal to amoeboid. All samples show a preferred orientation of the grain shape, often most pronounced in the XZ-plane. Measurements of texture showed, that the maximum c-axis densities of the marbles are similar and with 2.09–3.64 mrd moderately to strongly pronounced. In some cases, a weakly to moderate girdle-like shape of the intensity distribution could be observed. The thermal dilatation coefficient α varies between 0.16 and 12.97 × 10−6 K−1 and shows a strong directional dependence. All samples showed an irreversible length change after repeated heating cycles under dry and wet conditions that ranges between 0.05 and 0.59 mm/m. Marble panels used for the bowing test showed a maximum bowing intensity of 0.5 mm/m. The State Theatre in Darmstadt, Germany, is one example of the exterior application of Estremoz marble. The façade is cladded with panels of 3 cm in thickness. They show weathering phenomena like fractures and concave and convex bowing. Bowing intensities have been measured up to more than 9 mm/m. Weathering phenomena are influenced by the rock physical properties which can be seen in the results of the thermal and thermohygric behaviour as well as for the bowing tests. By comparing these results, the residual permanent length change can be used as a measure of the vulnerability to thermal weathering.
Johanna Menningen; Siegfried Siegesmund; Luis Lopes; Rubén Martins; Luís Sousa. The Estremoz marbles: an updated summary on the geological, mineralogical and rock physical characteristics. Environmental Earth Sciences 2018, 77, 191 .
AMA StyleJohanna Menningen, Siegfried Siegesmund, Luis Lopes, Rubén Martins, Luís Sousa. The Estremoz marbles: an updated summary on the geological, mineralogical and rock physical characteristics. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2018; 77 (5):191.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohanna Menningen; Siegfried Siegesmund; Luis Lopes; Rubén Martins; Luís Sousa. 2018. "The Estremoz marbles: an updated summary on the geological, mineralogical and rock physical characteristics." Environmental Earth Sciences 77, no. 5: 191.
The thermal rock properties are particularly important for natural stones whenever a temperature change may occur, which becomes particularly important when different materials are combined on any architectural structure. The thermal expansion of a rock is dependent on the coefficients of the expansion of the individual rock-forming minerals and the rock fabric. A systematic study on 65 different stones, mostly granitoids and others magmatic rocks, most of them are often used as dimensional building stones, was performed. Temperature and moisture are very important parameters in the natural environment. Therefore, the thermal expansion, and in addition the thermohygric expansion on selected examples, was measured. The data were also discussed considering the effect of the mineralogy and the temperature. A modeling approach was introduced to show how the mineralogy and the related single crystal properties affect the thermal properties and how good a simple calculation can help to characterize the measured thermal expansion of a rock. The directional dependence of the thermal expansion was also discussed and explained based on detailed rock fabric measurements. In this study, the bowing of granitoid samples was tested and compared with bowing phenomena of granitoid facade panels. The slabs were cut in different directions and were studied under different conditions of temperatures and water saturation. It could be clearly documented that the temperature and the moisture have a control on the bowing behavior. The implication of our data is that thermal expansion depends greatly on wetting and drying, i.e., the thermal cracking is characterized by the residual strain observed after cooling to room temperature. The sensitivity to the thermal cracking has a significant control on the application in architectural constructions.
Siegfried Siegesmund; Luís Sousa; Christian Knell. Thermal expansion of granitoids. Environmental Earth Sciences 2018, 77, 41 .
AMA StyleSiegfried Siegesmund, Luís Sousa, Christian Knell. Thermal expansion of granitoids. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2018; 77 (2):41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSiegfried Siegesmund; Luís Sousa; Christian Knell. 2018. "Thermal expansion of granitoids." Environmental Earth Sciences 77, no. 2: 41.
Reza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian; Luís M.O. Sousa. Discontinuity modelling and rock block geometry identification to optimize production in dimension stone quarries. Engineering Geology 2018, 232, 22 -33.
AMA StyleReza Yarahmadi, Raheb Bagherpour, Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian, Luís M.O. Sousa. Discontinuity modelling and rock block geometry identification to optimize production in dimension stone quarries. Engineering Geology. 2018; 232 ():22-33.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian; Luís M.O. Sousa. 2018. "Discontinuity modelling and rock block geometry identification to optimize production in dimension stone quarries." Engineering Geology 232, no. : 22-33.
Reza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Morteza Tabaei; Luis M.O. Sousa. Investigation of intact rock geomechanical parameters' effects on commercial blocks’ productivity within stone reserves: A case history of some quarries in Isfahan, Iran. Journal of African Earth Sciences 2017, 134, 383 -388.
AMA StyleReza Yarahmadi, Raheb Bagherpour, Morteza Tabaei, Luis M.O. Sousa. Investigation of intact rock geomechanical parameters' effects on commercial blocks’ productivity within stone reserves: A case history of some quarries in Isfahan, Iran. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 2017; 134 ():383-388.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Morteza Tabaei; Luis M.O. Sousa. 2017. "Investigation of intact rock geomechanical parameters' effects on commercial blocks’ productivity within stone reserves: A case history of some quarries in Isfahan, Iran." Journal of African Earth Sciences 134, no. : 383-388.
Optimization of cutting operations in quarrying and processing of building stones leads to certain reductions in operational costs. Despite the developments of cutting technology and employment of more efficient cutting machines, there is still a need to optimize a series of operational parameters; the cutting direction is one of them. In order to optimize the cutting direction parameter in cutting processes, an experimental study was designed in a granite quarry. For this purpose, 12 granite samples along 12 different directions with 15° intervals were cut by a special laboratory wire cutting machine. The obtained cutting rate showed that different cutting directions demonstrate very diverse cutting rates. A significant difference of 43% was found between the highest and lowest cutting rates. Also, the optimal cutting direction was found to be 185° relative to the geographical north. Furthermore, microscopic studies on petrographic thin sections were performed to analyze the cutting rate results. Analysis showed that the rock’s equivalent hardness was not correlated to the cutting rate, while there is a possible direct relationship between the quartz content and the cutting rate. Besides, results confirmed the currently identified splitting planes of the quarry and showed a potential relationship with the main fault system of the area.
Reza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Amir Khademian; Luís Sousa; Seied Najmedin Almasi; Mahin Mansouri Esfahani. Determining the optimum cutting direction in granite quarries through experimental studies: a case study of a granite quarry. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 2017, 78, 459 -467.
AMA StyleReza Yarahmadi, Raheb Bagherpour, Amir Khademian, Luís Sousa, Seied Najmedin Almasi, Mahin Mansouri Esfahani. Determining the optimum cutting direction in granite quarries through experimental studies: a case study of a granite quarry. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. 2017; 78 (1):459-467.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Amir Khademian; Luís Sousa; Seied Najmedin Almasi; Mahin Mansouri Esfahani. 2017. "Determining the optimum cutting direction in granite quarries through experimental studies: a case study of a granite quarry." Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 78, no. 1: 459-467.
Luís Sousa; Jessica Barabasch; Karl-Jochen Stein; Siegfried Siegesmund. Characterization and quality assessment of granitic building stone deposits: A case study of two different Portuguese granites. Engineering Geology 2017, 221, 29 -40.
AMA StyleLuís Sousa, Jessica Barabasch, Karl-Jochen Stein, Siegfried Siegesmund. Characterization and quality assessment of granitic building stone deposits: A case study of two different Portuguese granites. Engineering Geology. 2017; 221 ():29-40.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís Sousa; Jessica Barabasch; Karl-Jochen Stein; Siegfried Siegesmund. 2017. "Characterization and quality assessment of granitic building stone deposits: A case study of two different Portuguese granites." Engineering Geology 221, no. : 29-40.
In building stones, discontinuities, non-uniformity, and irregular shape are among the problems that reduce the quality of products. Stone blocks, slabs, and tiles are the main products of quarries and stone processing plants. Quantifying the quality is a key factor in valuation of these products. This paper proposes a quality factor formula to determine the quality of stone blocks (three-dimensional) and products from stone processing plants (two-dimensional). This factor, which shows the uniformity and esthetic index of a piece of stone, is determined based on the shape quality (α), number, size, and esthetic quality (β) of the pieces and the discontinuity factor (γ) that separates the pieces. The quality factor is defined in a way that each previously mentioned characteristic of a piece is involved in the quality factor formula calculation. The quality factor ranges between 0 and 1 and can be expressed as a percentage. The proposed quality factor was calculated for a number of different stone blocks, slabs, and tiles to examine the validity of the quality factor formula. The results showed that the shape quality is the most significant parameter in determining the quality of stone blocks in quarries. Moreover, in processing plant products the esthetic quality and the number of stone pieces in a product are the key factors for determination of their quality. The discontinuity factor is a parameter that reduces the quality of stone products significantly. Furthermore, the quality factor formula can be used as a convenient tool for classifying the products of quarries and stone processing plants.
Reza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian; Luís Sousa. A new quality factor for the building stone industry: a case study of stone blocks, slabs, and tiles. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 2017, 78, 533 -542.
AMA StyleReza Yarahmadi, Raheb Bagherpour, Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian, Luís Sousa. A new quality factor for the building stone industry: a case study of stone blocks, slabs, and tiles. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. 2017; 78 (1):533-542.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian; Luís Sousa. 2017. "A new quality factor for the building stone industry: a case study of stone blocks, slabs, and tiles." Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 78, no. 1: 533-542.
Luís Manuel Oliveira Sousa. Current Approaches in the Research of Dimension Stones:From Quarry to Heritage. Advanced Geosciences 2017, 2, 1 .
AMA StyleLuís Manuel Oliveira Sousa. Current Approaches in the Research of Dimension Stones:From Quarry to Heritage. Advanced Geosciences. 2017; 2 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís Manuel Oliveira Sousa. 2017. "Current Approaches in the Research of Dimension Stones:From Quarry to Heritage." Advanced Geosciences 2, no. : 1.
Building stone is one of the oldest material used in construction. The present study evaluated the physical and mechanical characteristics of dolomite, limestone and sandstone as building stones. These rocks were selected from the foothills of Himalaya as a case study. Compressive strength, tensile strength, specific gravity, durability, water absorption, pulse velocity and petrography of the selected rocks were evaluated. Relationships were established among these properties of the rocks. Total reserves of these rocks in the selected area were approximated and the influence of geological structures on the rock properties were also considered. Kashmir Boundary Thrust and Kawai Fault present in the study area have adversely affected the physico-mechanical characteristics of the rocks. Dolomite shows a higher water absorption and lower strength values than expected. Kamsar Dolomite shows high degree of fracturing and weathering which lowers its polishing character and degrades its quality as building and ornamental stone. However, Yadgar Dolomite reflects ‘fair’ degree of polishing and could be used as ornamental stone and as non-load bearing masonry units. Limestone also shows lower strength values but its ‘good’ degree of polishing and other characteristics are suggestive of its use in internal flooring, cladding, stone veneer, wall stone, tabletops, risers and treads. The most suitable rock proven as building stone is Pattika Sandstone due to its sound petrographic characters, higher tensile and compressive strengths, very high durability, and lower water absorption values. Deolian Sandstone should be avoid in load bearing masonry units because of its lower strength values. Pattika Sandstone can be used as curbs, copings, sills, facing stone, external pavements and as ashlar and rubble stone. Strength properties were found to be largely dependent on each other. Ultrasonic pulse velocity in these rocks shows close relation to the density than the strength characteristics. Durability was found to be more relevant to the water absorption and less relevant to the strength of rocks. Sandstone has fairly large reserves in the study area, followed by dolomite and limestone.
Sohail Mustafa; Muhammad Arshad Khan; Luís Sousa; Fahad Hameed; Muhammad Saleem Mughal; Abrar Niaz. Building stone evaluation—A case study of the sub-Himalayas, Muzaffarabad region, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Engineering Geology 2016, 209, 56 -69.
AMA StyleSohail Mustafa, Muhammad Arshad Khan, Luís Sousa, Fahad Hameed, Muhammad Saleem Mughal, Abrar Niaz. Building stone evaluation—A case study of the sub-Himalayas, Muzaffarabad region, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Engineering Geology. 2016; 209 ():56-69.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSohail Mustafa; Muhammad Arshad Khan; Luís Sousa; Fahad Hameed; Muhammad Saleem Mughal; Abrar Niaz. 2016. "Building stone evaluation—A case study of the sub-Himalayas, Muzaffarabad region, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan." Engineering Geology 209, no. : 56-69.
The Oporto's St. Lourenço Church of the Jesuit College is locally known, since the St. Augustin Barefooted Eremites occupation (1779/80), as Grilos' Church. The Oporto's siege laid by D. Pedro and D. Miguel (1832/33) succeed in the college abandonment by Grilo's Friars. Throughout Augustin Friars presence period, the white plasters of the nave (end of 18th c.) were executed and it was constructed the Holly Sacrament Chapel (early 19th c.) with neoclassic coloured stuccos and plasters, influenced by Robert Adam, Luigi Chiari and Teixeira Barreto ornamental motifs. Pigments were added to the external layer to imitate the marble and to achieve the “base” colour of the panels. This study of the blue, rose and white stuccos and plasters of H.S. Chapel of Grilo's Church allows carrying out useful database on the original mortars composition by the use of different analytical techniques, important to select the most adequate solutions for restoration interventions. Optical microscopy, XRD, TG‐DTA, SEM‐EDS, XRF analysis results were considered to identify the composition of different layers and to provide mineralogical, microstructure and chemical characterization of the mortars components and to quantify the binder content in those mortars. These results were compared with collected information on compositions from other sources. This study allowed the identification of the decay causes of decorative stuccos and plaster, suggesting that water retention in the masonries and wooden laths structure of the dome of the chapel is the main factor. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 246–251, 2016
Eunice Salavessa; António Candeias; José Mirão; Luís M. O. Sousa; Nelson Duarte; Said Jalali; Joana Salgueiro. 19th c. Coloured stuccos and plasters from Grilos' Church (Oporto, Portugal): Materials and techniques employed. Color Research & Application 2016, 41, 246 -251.
AMA StyleEunice Salavessa, António Candeias, José Mirão, Luís M. O. Sousa, Nelson Duarte, Said Jalali, Joana Salgueiro. 19th c. Coloured stuccos and plasters from Grilos' Church (Oporto, Portugal): Materials and techniques employed. Color Research & Application. 2016; 41 (3):246-251.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEunice Salavessa; António Candeias; José Mirão; Luís M. O. Sousa; Nelson Duarte; Said Jalali; Joana Salgueiro. 2016. "19th c. Coloured stuccos and plasters from Grilos' Church (Oporto, Portugal): Materials and techniques employed." Color Research & Application 41, no. 3: 246-251.
The most negative aspects in the exploitation of weathered granites as ornamental stones tend to be heterogenic coloration and fracturing. Therefore, an accurate study is needed for a comprehensive evaluation of the granite resources during an exploration campaign. This paper presents the results of the fracturing evaluation of a region located in north of Portugal, where the Mondim de Basto granite, a stone with a high weathering degree, is exploited. The regional fracturing was evaluated from lineaments in aerial photos and then compared with local jointing in quarries. The jointing in each quarry is characterized according to the strike and dip, joint spacing and volumetric joint count. Two indices were proposed to facilitate the jointing comparison among quarries: the joint space length (L js) and joint set spacing (S js). L js is based on the sum of all the spacing values obtained perpendicularly to the strike direction. S js is computed based on the overall mean/median spacing and on the number of joint sets observed in each quarry. The most important joint sets in the subdivision of the rock mass were found not to be in accordance with the regional fracturing patterns, highlighting the necessity of studying the fracturing at all scales.
L. M. O. Sousa; A. S. Oliveira; I. M. C. Alves. Influence of fracture system on the exploitation of building stones: the case of the Mondim de Basto granite (north Portugal). Environmental Earth Sciences 2015, 75, 39 .
AMA StyleL. M. O. Sousa, A. S. Oliveira, I. M. C. Alves. Influence of fracture system on the exploitation of building stones: the case of the Mondim de Basto granite (north Portugal). Environmental Earth Sciences. 2015; 75 (1):39.
Chicago/Turabian StyleL. M. O. Sousa; A. S. Oliveira; I. M. C. Alves. 2015. "Influence of fracture system on the exploitation of building stones: the case of the Mondim de Basto granite (north Portugal)." Environmental Earth Sciences 75, no. 1: 39.
The present article reviews various methods for discontinuity and rock block survey. The variety of techniques to determine the shape and size distribution of the rock blocks were divided into index and modeling methods. The index methods calculate the average size of a rock block as a representative of the rock mass. These methods are simple, cheap and fast, but are associated with large errors because of the presence of the rock mass of rock blocks with different geometries. Hence, index methods are not recommended. In modeling techniques, discontinuity surveys try to model the rock mass realistically to determine the geometry of all blocks with different algorithms. These methods also have some defects in modeling the discontinuities and calculating the geometry of blocks. In order to perform an evaluation of all methods, six conditions were identified to determine the method for surveying rock blocks. The conditions include the ability to model random discontinuities and joint sets with specific dimensions, the inability to simulate discontinuities with statistical methods (the ability to study a discontinuity network separately), determining the geometry of all rock blocks, considering the dangling and isolated discontinuities, simplicity, and three-dimensionality. Based on the above requirements, a new approach is proposed to determine suitable methods for use in the evaluation of dimension stones. This new methodology was applied in a limestone quarry in Joshqan, Iran, to verify the applicability of the different methods in dimension stone quarries.
Reza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Luis M. O. Sousa; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian. How to determine the appropriate methods to identify the geometry of in situ rock blocks in dimension stones. Environmental Earth Sciences 2015, 74, 6779 -6790.
AMA StyleReza Yarahmadi, Raheb Bagherpour, Luis M. O. Sousa, Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian. How to determine the appropriate methods to identify the geometry of in situ rock blocks in dimension stones. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2015; 74 (9):6779-6790.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReza Yarahmadi; Raheb Bagherpour; Luis M. O. Sousa; Sayed-Ghahreman Taherian. 2015. "How to determine the appropriate methods to identify the geometry of in situ rock blocks in dimension stones." Environmental Earth Sciences 74, no. 9: 6779-6790.
The exploitation of building stones is conditioned by several factors, some related to the characteristics of the rocks and other extrinsic to the material. In this study we assess the reserves of the Amarelo Real granite in the reserve zone defined in the Falperra Mountain (Vila Pouca de Aguiar). Taking into account the several limitations resulting from the existence of zones already in exploitation and further occupations of the territory, among others factors, only 42 % of the reserve zone may be used for opening up new quarries. Considering that quarries have an average depth of 12.5 m and an average deposit yield of 12.5 %, the granite reserves estimated are about 11.7 × 106 m3.
Lmo Sousa; José Lourenço. Building Stone Evaluation Applied to Weathered Granites—The Example of Amarelo Real Granite (Northern Portugal). Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 5 2014, 273 -277.
AMA StyleLmo Sousa, José Lourenço. Building Stone Evaluation Applied to Weathered Granites—The Example of Amarelo Real Granite (Northern Portugal). Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 5. 2014; ():273-277.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLmo Sousa; José Lourenço. 2014. "Building Stone Evaluation Applied to Weathered Granites—The Example of Amarelo Real Granite (Northern Portugal)." Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 5 , no. : 273-277.
The use of a rock as a building stone is conditioned by several factors, from its aesthetic characteristics to its petrophysical properties. Even though the latter are taken into consideration, only a few of them are usually assessed. The purpose of this study is to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the petrophysical properties of nine Portuguese granites employed as dimension stones. Granites with different textural characteristics and degrees of weathering were selected in order to highlight the relationships between the properties, and to identify the most important ones affecting the rock behaviour. The post-tectonic granites, with low porosity and fewer fissures, show better mechanical behaviour, while the most weathered granites have poor mechanical behaviour that limits their use in some applications and/or environmental conditions. L'utilisation d'une roche comme matériau de construction est conditionnée par plusieurs facteurs, soit les caractéristiques esthétiques ou les propriétés pétrophysiques. Même si ceux-ci sont pris en considération, seuls quelques-unes d'entre elles sont généralement évaluées. L’objectif de cette étude est de réaliser une évaluation complète des propriétés pétrophysiques de neuf granites portugais employés comme pierres de taille. Granites avec différentes textures et degrés d'altération ont été sélectionnés afin de mettre en évidence les relations entre les propriétés, et d'identifier les plus importantes qui conditionnent le comportement de la roche. Les granites post-tectoniques, avec une basse porosité et moins de fissures, présentent un meilleur comportement mécanique, tandis que les granites altérés ont plus mauvais comportement mécanique qui limitent leur utilisation en certaines applications et/ou des conditions environnementales.
Luís M. O. Sousa. Petrophysical properties and durability of granites employed as building stone: a comprehensive evaluation. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 2013, 73, 569 -588.
AMA StyleLuís M. O. Sousa. Petrophysical properties and durability of granites employed as building stone: a comprehensive evaluation. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. 2013; 73 (2):569-588.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuís M. O. Sousa. 2013. "Petrophysical properties and durability of granites employed as building stone: a comprehensive evaluation." Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 73, no. 2: 569-588.
This study is inspired by a revival of traditional stuccoes, plasterwork and recent research on plastering. It includes descriptions of old and new material production techniques with an expected long service life to minimize waste production. A detailed review of the stuccoes and plasters from historical construction treatises was carried out. Their constituents, as well as their functions were studied, and an equivalent eco-mortar was formulated. XRD, EDS, MIP, BET and XRF analysis of the mortars components provided their mineralogical, microstructure and chemical characterization. Petrographic analysis supplied data on the mortars voids. The effect of waste marble and limestone dust on physic-mechanical properties of the eco-mortar was studied in order to find better solutions for restoration interventions. The elastic modulus and compressive and flexural strength of each plaster layer was correlated with the cracking prevention capacity of the mortar. The coefficient of water absorption was estimated in order to study the water exchange behavior between the last two layers of stuccoes and plasters. Furthermore, their behavior with respect to humidity was studied
Eunice Salavessa; Said Jalali; Luís M.O. Sousa; Lisete Sofia Gomes Fernandes; Ana Maria Duarte. Historical plasterwork techniques inspire new formulations. Construction and Building Materials 2013, 48, 858 -867.
AMA StyleEunice Salavessa, Said Jalali, Luís M.O. Sousa, Lisete Sofia Gomes Fernandes, Ana Maria Duarte. Historical plasterwork techniques inspire new formulations. Construction and Building Materials. 2013; 48 ():858-867.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEunice Salavessa; Said Jalali; Luís M.O. Sousa; Lisete Sofia Gomes Fernandes; Ana Maria Duarte. 2013. "Historical plasterwork techniques inspire new formulations." Construction and Building Materials 48, no. : 858-867.