Sustainable Use of Traditional Geomaterials in Construction Practice

Geomaterials derived from the Earth’s crust and used in construction after appropriate processing are among the earliest raw materials exploited, processed and used by humans. Their numerous functional properties include accessibility, workability and serviceability, and these are explored within this volume. In modern society, sustainable use of raw materials, specifically those exploited in large volumes such as geomaterials for construction, raises questions of reducing extraction of primary resources and thus minimizing impacts on natural systems, and also employment of materials and technologies to lower emissions of deleterious substances into the atmosphere. This will be possible only if we fully understand the properties, processing and mode of use of traditional geomaterials. Although most of the papers within this volume were written by geologists, the contributions will also be of interest to those working in cultural heritage, monument conservation, civil engineering and architecture.
Comparison between petrophysical properties, durability and use of two limestones of the Paris region
-
Published:January 01, 2016
-
CiteCitation
Patricia Vázquez, Beatriz Menéndez, Mélanie F. C. Denecker, Celine Thomachot-Schneider, 2016. "Comparison between petrophysical properties, durability and use of two limestones of the Paris region", Sustainable Use of Traditional Geomaterials in Construction Practice, R. Přikryl, Á. Török, M. Gomez-Heras, K. Miskovsky, M. Theodoridou
Download citation file:
- Share
Abstract
Most buildings of architectural heritage in Paris and its surroundings are built with Lutetian limestone. Several historic buildings of the ‘Vexin Normand’ region show Lutetian limestone in the upper parts of their walls, while the lower parts are built with a chalk known as ‘Pierre de Vernon’. The ‘Pierre de Vernon’ appears up to the first metre, although in exceptional cases it can reach the middle height of a building. Commonly, chalks exhibit low durability due to their high porosity. However, ‘Pierre de Vernon’ is supposed to have greater durability than other chalks because of its historic use for basement construction.
The objective of this research was to understand the use of the ‘Pierre de Vernon’ in the lower part of the constructions. A petrophysical characterization of Vernon chalk and Lutetian limestone was carried out, focusing mainly on the differences in porosity and water uptake. Salt crystallization tests were done to contrast their response to decay. Colour and roughness measurements and scanning electron microscope observations were performed.
Results show that the different porous networks of these two limestones lead to a high contrast in their hydric properties and responses to decay, and the use of Vernon chalk in the lower sections of buildings has been found to be appropriate.
- absorption
- adsorption
- air pollution
- body waves
- building stone
- capillarity
- chalk deposits
- civil engineering
- color
- construction materials
- crystallization
- desorption
- durability
- elastic waves
- electron microscopy data
- engineering geology
- Europe
- France
- limestone deposits
- Lutetian
- microstructure
- Normandy
- P-waves
- Paris France
- permeability
- petrography
- physical properties
- pollution
- porosity
- rock mechanics
- roughness
- seismic waves
- SEM data
- sodium chloride
- sodium sulfate
- structural analysis
- sulfur dioxide
- testing
- velocity
- water content
- Western Europe
- Vernon France
- Pierre de Vernon Chalk
- Vexin Normand region