Effect of salt crystallization on stones of historical buildings and monuments, Konya, Central Turkey

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. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.