Non-Destructive Method for Rapid "In Situ" Characterization of Rocks

Abstract

The effective determination of the field and place of application of the products resulting from stone working is a compulsory requirement in the building activity and is solved by laboratory analyses. This article presents details on the determination, by non-destructive method, of the compression strength of the rocks, both "in situ" (in the deposit) and in a laboratory. The originality of the method consists in simplifying the determination process of this parameter, a method that is in agreement with the systems proposed to be applied in the European Community. The method has the advan tage of being applicable in quarries, where knowledge of this parameter leads to a rationalizing of the working and more especially to a selection of the blocks by quality criteria. The method is appli cable to all categories of natural consolidated hard rocks, being a viable alternative for deposits with an inhomogeneous composition as to quality and structure.