ABSTRACT: Three types of cyclic durability test were done in this study using different wetting liquids during the cycles. These liquids are distilled water, acidic water and sodium sulfate solution. The limestone used included 7 samples taken from old and recent constructions in Egypt and 6 samples taken from recent constructions in Japan. Their basic physical and mechanical properties were determined before and after the tests. The trend line of mass loss percentages of the durability tests was found to be correlated to their basic initial properties by the following order: compressive strength, porosity, water absorption and dry density. In addition, it was found that the most simple, fast and representative laboratory test to obtain a good idea about the durability of building limestone-especially for the Egyptian limestone- is the soundness durability test. It has a good and closed relationship with the acidic durability test which is costly and need more time.
RESUME: Trois types de l'essaie de la durabilite cyclique ont ete faits dans cette etude en utilisant des solutions differentes pendant les cycles dont l'eau distillee, l'eau acidic et la solution de sulfate sodic. 13 echantillons ont ete pris dont 7 des constructions anciennes et recents de calcaire Egyptien et 6 echantillons de constructions recents Japonais. Leur proporietes physiques et mecaniques ont ete determinees aupavant et apres les essais. La tendance de la pourentages de la pert de mass des essais de la durabilite sont correles avec les proporietes initiales par l'ordre suivant: la force compressive, la porosite, la capacite d'absorption d'eau et la densite seche. D'autre part, il a ete trouve que l'essaie de "soundness" est l'essai le plus simple, rapid et representative pour obtenir de bonne idee sur la durabilite de calcaire en construction sutout les Egyptiennes, Ca test est assez comprable avec l'essaie de l'durabilite acidic qui est plus coteau et a besoin de temps d'essaie plus longue.
ZUSAMMENF ASSUNG: Drei typen der zyklischen Dauerhattigkeitversuche wurden in dieser arbeit mit gebrauch von vers-chiedene benetzungsmittel -waehrend der zykln untersucht. Diese benetzungsmittel waren distilliertes wasser, saures wasser und sodium sulfate losung. Die kalksteine beinhaltet 7 Proben vom alten und neuen Gebauden in Aegypten und 6 Proben vom neuen Gabauden in Japan die original physischen und mechanischen eigenschaften wurden vor und nach den untersuch- ungen gemessen. Die Tendeuz gewichtverlusst der Dauerhafligkeitunters-achungen ist - in folgende Ordnung Druckfestighnt, Porositat, Wasseraufnahme-vermogen und trockene Dichtes, Noch dazu man konnte durch die Versuehe feststellen, dass die einfachste, schnellste und am meisten darstellende laboruntersuchung, besonders fuer a glyptische kalksteine ist die Guterpr-uefung mit der saure Dauerhahftigkeit untersuchung, welche seher teuer und zeitraubend ist.
1 DEFINITIONS Two terms from the title of this paper must be defined in advance. The First is durability. The Second is environmental impact.
The durability here means the mass loss percentage of the original sample in· terms of certain numbers of wetting/ drying cycles exposed to the sample. The environmental impact here means the conditions of wetting and drying during the durability test. By these two definations, the natural or artificiall environmental conditions existing around the building stones in this laboratory testing programme can be represented.
In this study three types of environmental durability tests were done. In the first one, the distilled water was used as a wetting liquid and it is called as distilled water durability test. In the second one, the acidic water was used as a wetting liquid and it is called acidic water durability test. In the third one, the sodium sulfate solution was used as a wetting liquid and it is known as the soundness durability.
2 INTRODUCTION The ancient and recent Egyptian and Japanese monuments were almost constructed from the limestone blocs. It is known that limestone's are the most highly soluble rocks to suffer chemical solution (Fookes and Hawkins, 1988).