Effects of freezing-thawing and thermal shock cycles on physical and mechanical properties of filled and unfilled travertines

The usage of travertine as a natural building and facing stone shows a gradually rising trend in construction sector around the world. Due to natural structure travertine consists of many pores during formation of rocks. White Portland cement, calcite and coloring agent are used to obtain filling material through the pores with optimum setting time as a cement filling technique. In this study, application of cement filling method in travertine and the effects of freezing-thawing and thermal shock cycles on the rock structure were experimentally investigated. Unfilled and filled travertines were compared based on the technical data of rock parameters before and after freezing-thawing and thermal shock cycles. Filled and unfilled travertine tiles were prepared in the form of 40 cm x 40 cm x 2 cm. Test samples were prepared from these tiles according to related standards analyzed in terms of open porosity, unit volume weight and point load strength index measurements. According to test results, it was tried to compare the filled and unfilled material properties such as physical and mechanical parameters of rock at the end of the each periods of freezing-thawing and thermal shock for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 cycles. The results showed that the very remarkable influence of rock weathering level on mechanical resistance of filled travertine than unfilled travertine after F-T and T-S cycles. F-T has a more destructive effect on the porosity than T-S. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.