Dimension stone design – kerf anchorage in limestone and marble

Abstract

2This paper describes a study on kerf anchorage behaviour in three types of stones. Two limestone and various marble specimens were submitted to a series of tests -namely standard absorption, bulk specific gravity and flexural strength tests -to determine their physical and mechanical properties. The paper focuses on the results of tests carried out according to the ASTM Standard Test Method for Strength of Individual Stone Anchorages in DimensionStone. These tests were performed on a stiff rail continuous anchorage system on both the front and rear kerf legs.Stress analysis and finite element method calculations were the basis for the proposed semi-empirical formula to estimate this anchorage system's breaking load under the above-mentioned conditions. Through a general but practical example, it is shown that a design focused on the bending strength of stone panels, to the detriment of the kerf anchorage, is an unsafe and yet common practice. The paper emphasises that designing stone cladding systems with continuous kerf must take into account different effects in order to evaluate the effective stress in the critical region of the kerf geometry. Separate stress concentration factors are proposed to account for the kerf geometry and the specimens' specific properties. Construction MaterialsVolume 165 Issue CM3Dimension stone design -kerf anchorage in limestone and marble Camposinhos and Camposinhos

The Susceptibility to Salt Fog Degradation of Stone Cladding Materials: A Laboratory Case Study on Two Limestones from Portugal

“…The aim of the present work is to study the direct relationships between salt weathering-carried out only through artificial salt fog cycles in a climatic chamber based upon the standard test method EN 14147 (above identified as method i)-and two limestone physical-mechanical properties (weight loss, flexural strength, and dynamic elastic modulus), which are not frequently measured. In this way, it will be possible to access the parameters for interpreting and predicting damage processes on stone for cladding [27][28][29][30]. Natural stone facades located near coastal areas usually start by showing surface alterations in colour and gloss and then evolve to changes in the stones' physical-mechanical properties as salt action goes on [12,16].…”

Durability of Stone Cladding in Buildings: A Case Study of Marble Slabs Affected by Bowing

“…These simulations can be performed through simplified or complex models. The use of complex models are based on a finite element model (FEM) and can be used for more detailed/accurate analyses, such as for studying the behavior of the claddings fixing systems using contact models [26,27]. FEMs employing the theory of thin plates could also be used in general static analysis of stone slabs [24], especially when the slabs have unusual shapes and/or support/fixing conditions that could affect the internal stress distribution [18].…”