Study on Serpentinites and the Consequence of the Misuse of Natural Stone in Buildings for Construction
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 10
Abstract
Some rocks are very attractive as ornamental stone, but not all of them accomplish the needed requirements to be used in construction. Serpentinite can be an appealing rock, very commonly used as dimension stone. However, not all serpentinites can be used in such a way. The most widely used commercial serpentinite comes from Pakistan and India (i.e., Rajasthan Green), but other countries also produce serpentinites, such as Italy (Verde Alpi, Verde Polcevera, Verde Prato), United States (Vermont Verde Antique), and Spain (Verde Macael, Verde Pirineos). The geomechanical properties of a serpentinite are strongly related to its mineralogy (serpentine-group minerals and carbonates, mostly), and not all serpentinites are created equal. We have compared the mineralogy and mechanical properties of serpentinites that comply with the Standard Specification for Serpentinite as Dimension Stone (i.e., Rajasthan Green, Verde Macael) with those that do not (Verde Pirineos). Verde Pirineos consists of lizardite, and the carbonates, mostly dolomite, are restricted to veins. Rajasthan Green consists of antigorite, and most of the serpentine has been replaced by carbonates, dominantly magnesian calcite. Taking into account their composition and textures, rocks with such differences will evolve in different ways in a weathering environment. In replacing damaged serpentinite from a building, it is important that the new piece have the same characteristics, otherwise the replaced tiles will not look appropriate in aesthetic terms. This is particularly important in restoring monuments. Petrographic studies and x-ray diffraction are essential in analyzing the commercial potential of these rocks, and results are directly related to the geomechanical behavior of the samples. Knowledge of these characteristics would help to choose the right replacement in case of restoration of monuments and other buildings.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the projects CGL2006-05128/BTE and CGL 2010-18579 from the Spanish government. Robert Martin provided useful comments on the subject and helped with the English grammar. J. Frenette, from the Université Laval, helped to interpret the XRD results. Two anonymous reviewers suggested improvements on the original version that were followed and acknowledged.
References
ASTM. (2002). “Standard specification for serpentine dimension stone.” C 1526-02, West Conshohocken, PA.
Fort, R., Alvarez de Buergo, M., Pérez Montserrat, E., Varas, M. J., and Menduiña, J. (2006). “Traditional building stone in Madrid, Spain: The importance of protecting its historical quarries.” Geophys. Res. Abstr, 8, 06240.
Ismael, I. S., and Hassan, M. S. (2008). “Characterization of some Egyptian serpentinites used as ornamental stones.” Chin. J. Geochem., 27(2), 140–149.
Malesani, P., Pecchioni, E., Cantisani, E., and Fratini, F. (2003). “Geolithology and provenance of materials of some historical buildings and monuments in the centre of Florence (Italy).” Episodes, 26(3), 250–255.
Marino, L., Corti, M., Coli, M., Tanini, C., and Nenzia, C. (2004). “The “Verde di Prato” stones of cathedral and baptistery of Florence.” Proc. Int. Geol. Congress, Abstract T16.03.
Meierding, T. C. (2005). “Weathering of serpentine stone buildings in the Philadelphia region: A geographic approach related to acidic deposition.” Stone decay in the architectural environment, A. V. Turkington, ed., Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, GSA Special Papers 399, 17–25.
Melvin, R. W., and McKenzie, G. D. (1992). “Guide to the building stones of downtown Columbus: A walking tour.” Ohio division of Geological Survey guidebook, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, 6.
Moody, J. B. (1976). “Serpentinization: A review.” Lithos, 9(2), 125–138.
O’Hanley, D. S. (1996). Serpentinites, Oxford University Press, New York.
Pereira, M. D., Blanco, J. A., Yenes, M., and y Peinado, M. (2005). “Las serpentinitas y su correcta utilización en construcción.” ROC Máquina, 26, 24–27.
Pereira, D., Blanco, J. A., Yenes, M., and Peinado, M. (2007). “Characterization of serpentinites to define their appropriate use as building stones.” Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 271, 55–62.
Pereira, D., Peinado, M., Blanco, J. A., Yenes, M., Fallick, A., and Upton, B. (2004). “Serpentinite: A potential natural stone in Spain.” Dimension stone, R. Pickryl, ed., Balkema, Taylor and Francis Group, London, 85–87.
Pereira, D., Peinado, D., Blanco, J. A., and Yenes, M. (2008). “Geochemical characterization of a serpentinization process at Cabo Ortegal (NW Spain).” Can. Mineral., 46(2), 317–327.
Pereira, D., Peinado, M., Yenes, M., Monterrubio, S., Nespereira, J., and Blanco, J. A. (2010). “Serpentinites from Cabo Ortegal (Galicia, Spain): A search for correct use as ornamental stones.” Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 333, 81–85.
Proudfoot, T., Garland, K., and Larsen, J. (1988). “The examination and conservation of a collection of Gandharan sculptures from Anthony House, Cornwall.” The Conservation of Far Eastern Art: Preprints of the contributions to the Kyoto Congress, J. S. Mills, et al., eds., The International Institute for Conservarion of Historic and Artistic Works, London, 113–119.
Selwitz, Ch. (1992). “Epoxy resins in stone consolidation.” The Getty Conservation Institute Publications, Los Angeles.
Šťastná, A., Přikryl, R., and Jehlička, J. (2009). “Methodology of analytical study for provenance determination of calcitic, calcite–dolomitic and impure marbles from historical quarries in the Czech Republic.” J. Cult. Herit., 10(1), 82–93.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 10 • October 2013
Pages: 1563 - 1567
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 24, 2011
Accepted: Sep 18, 2012
Published online: Sep 22, 2012
Discussion open until: Feb 22, 2013
Published in print: Oct 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.