Experimental study to evaluate the effect of travertine structure on the physical and mechanical properties of the mater
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Experimental study to evaluate the effect of travertine structure on the physical and mechanical properties of the material M. Chentout 1 & B. Alloul 1 & A. Rezouk 1 & D. Belhai 1
Received: 14 October 2014 / Accepted: 1 April 2015 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2015
Abstract Geology, hydrophysical properties, and mechanical behavior of two main varieties of ornamental stones in Algeria have been studied in detail. Travertines and onyx in western Algeria are summarized to two large layers, the Bouhanifia and the Ain Takbalat deposits. Their formation is related to the hydrothermalism following the great fault of Tafna. The travertine formed in water overflow while onyx is set up along the lines of outputs of the sewage of dissolved CaCo3. The results obtained show a good correlation between petrography and the mechanical behavior; the bedding planes and laminations of the travertines give a petrophysical anisotropy across the sample. Two types of mechanical testing: compressive and flexural strength were carried out either parallel or perpendicular to the veins. This test showed that mechanical behavior is guided by the nature, thickness, composition, and orientation of the veins. Keywords Travertine . Petrography . Structure . Petrophysical anisotropy . Mechanical behavior
Introduction The mineralogical composition and structure are closely related; they determine the mechanical properties of rocks. To
* M. Chentout [email protected]; [email protected] 1
Laboratoire de Géodynamique, Géologie de l’Ingénieur et de Planétologie (LGGIP), Faculté des Sciences de la Terre, Géographie et Aménagement du Territoire (FSTGAT), Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), B.P. 32 El Alia, Dar el Beida, Alger 16111, Algérie
understand and define this relationship, two travertines and two onyxes were investigated in this study. These stones have been chosen for several raisons. They are the principal varieties of ornamental stone in the western of Algeria. They are widely used in construction as well as imposed for restoration of many historical monuments. In addition, travertine is a common building and dimensional stone that has been explored and used in many countries (Benavente et al. 2008; Molina et al. 2013; Vazquez et al. 2013). The main Algerian travertine production originated in western Algeria, with two main quarries: Ain Takbalat and Bouhanifia (Tawab 1970). These two quarries are thought to have been used in ancient times. So, they have been heavily exploited in the Middle Ages (Playfair 1895), and again at 19 century, known then as the “Algerian Onyx”. The term travertine is generally used to refer to carbonate rocks formed on the continent (Sanders and Friedman 1967) and consisting of calcite or aragonite. Then, the definition of travertine as sedimentary rock formed by precipitation of CaCO3 from waters saturated with Ca (HCO3)2 is not unequivocal without taking into account the origin of these waters. Depending the training process and the origins of the water
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