This article was downloaded by: [University of Prince Edward Island]

On: 15 April 2013, At: 09:26

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

European Journal of Environmental and

Civil Engineering
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tece20

Dilation behaviour of lime mortars

for restoration work: application to
the compatibility of cracked stone
reassembling
a a b
Jean-Didier Mertz , Mikaël Guiavarc’h & Paolo Pagnin
a
Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques, Champs
sur Marne, Paris, France
b
LITHOS company, Venice, Italy
Version of record first published: 05 Apr 2012.

To cite this article: Jean-Didier Mertz , Mikaël Guiavarc’h & Paolo Pagnin (2012): Dilation
behaviour of lime mortars for restoration work: application to the compatibility of cracked stone
reassembling, European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 16:5, 527-542

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2012.668018

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-

conditions

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.

The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation
that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any
instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary
sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings,
demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or
indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering
Vol. 16, No. 5, May 2012, 527–542

Dilation behaviour of lime mortars for restoration work: application

to the compatibility of cracked stone reassembling
Jean-Didier Mertza*, Mikaël Guiavarc’ha and Paolo Pagninb
a
Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques, Champs sur Marne, Paris, France;
b
LITHOS company, Venice, Italy
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

A major problem in stone restoration is the reassembling of crackedstones using

mortar and grout. The usual criteria for selection of products are related to chemical
(free soluble salts), petrophysical and mechanical properties (absorption of water,
porosity, elasticity modulus, compressive and traction strength resistance, adherence
and hardness). Because in semi-arid environments stones are subjected to high hyg-
ric and thermal gradients, current validated solutions could be less durable or unsuit-
able. Several investigations underline the importance of dilation as a mechanism of
damage and stone decay. The set up of a method related to thermal and hygric dila-
tion measurements is presented. Dilation is linked to structural parameters of the
materials and represents a significant physical property to assess stone–mortar com-
patibility. The study has been undertaken for the treatment of cracked limestones
from the archaeological sites of Djemila (Algeria) and Volubilis (Morocco).

La resolidarisation de pierres fissurées à l’aide de mortiers et coulis constitue une

problématique majeure en restauration. Les critères habituels de sélection des pro-
duits se fondent sur des paramètres chimiques (faible teneur en sels solubles), pétro-
physiques et mécaniques (absorption d’eau, porosité, module d’élasticité, résistance
en compression et en traction, adhérence, dureté). Dans des environnements clima-
tiques semi-arides où les pierres sont soumises à de forts gradients thermique et
hygrique, les solutions techniques validées en climat tempéré peuvent être moins
durables ou inadaptées. Plusieurs recherches soulignent l’importance de la dilatation
comme mécanisme à l’origine de l’altération des pierres. Le développement d’une
méthode de mesure de la dilatation hygrique et thermique est présenté. La dilatation
se corrèle avec certains paramètres structuraux des matériaux et constitue une propri-
été physique essentielle pour évaluer le degré de compatibilité pierre-mortier. L’étude
est appliquée au traitement des calcaires fissurées provenant des sites archéologiques
de Djemila (Algérie) et Volubilis (Maroc).
Keywords: hygric dilation; thermal dilation; cracks; specific surface area; swelling
clay; compatibility; lime mortar; injection grout; limestones; archaeological sites
Mots-clés:: dilatation hygrique; dilatation thermique; fissures; surface spécifique;
argile gonflante; compatibilité; micromortier de chaux; coulis d’injection; calcaires;
sites archéologiques

1. Introduction
Building stones and repair mortars are continuously submitted to environmental
conditions which determine the weathering and damage degree of the materials

*Corresponding author. Email: jean-didier.mertz@culture.gouv.fr

ISSN 1964-8189 print/ISSN 2116-7214 online

Ó 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2012.668018
http://www.tandfonline.com
 528 J.-D. Mertz et al.

(Brimblecombe & Camuffo, 2003; Winkler, 1987). Physical modifications of structure

are related to temperature and humidity changes (Benavente, Cultrone, & Gomez-Heras,
2008; Ruedrich, Seidel, Rothert, & Siegesmund, 2007; Snethlage & Wendler, 1997;
Weiss, Siegesmund, Kirchner, & Sippel, 2004). Such climatic conditions inevitably lead
to stresses and non-reversible deformations such as cracks, which are controlled by
petrographic parameters and physical properties of the materials. Many investigations
have studied the effect of temperature on building stones (Cooper & Simmons, 1977;
Siegesmund, Ullemeyer, Weiss, & Tschegg, 2000; Zezza, Massa, Venchiarutti, & Pre-
vide Massara, 1985). In addition to the thermal impact on the structure, changes in
moisture are first described by physico-chemical sorption and then by liquid transfer for
higher water saturation. Capillary and osmotic pressures could contribute to the defor-
mation of porous media and to modifying the internal structure of clay minerals (Del-
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

gado-Rodrigues, 2001; Sebastian, Cultrone, Benavente, Rodriguez-Navarro, & Linares,

2008; Benavente et al., 2008).
Studies on compatibility of two joining stones (Dessandier, Bromblet, & Mertz,
2000; Winkler, 1987) or between a stone and a mortar (Al-Saad & Abdel-Halim, 2001;
Binda, Baronio, Marrochino, & Vaccaro, 2003; Bromblet, 2000) are still in progress.
Indeed, the adaptation of a precise injection grout, repair or rejoining mortar still
remains a constant fieldwork investigation and justifies the activity of the committee
RILEM TC-COM 167, Repair Mortars for Historical Masonry. Scientists and profes-
sional recommendations focus on the history of old masonry, the understanding of
mechanisms responsible for the damage (Van Balen, Papayanni, Van Hees, Binda, &
Waldum, 2005), the rheological properties of new repair mortars, and control methods
or conditions for application and implementation to be respected. In addition to the
mechanical performances of mortars, other authors (Knöfel & Schubert, 1993; Maurenb-
recher, Trischuk, Rousseau, & Subercasseaux, 2007; Sasse & Snethlage, 1996) under-
line that the dilation properties should be taken into account.
The aim of this study is to assess the dimensional behaviour of porous materials
subjected to thermal and hygric stresses as a relevant factor for the selection of adapted
and available mortars. Two significant cracked building limestones from the archaeolog-
ical sites of Djemila (Algeria) and Volubilis (Morocco) are tested in this paper.

2. Environmental conditions in the ancient sites

Classified within the world heritage of humanity by UNESCO respectively in 1982 and
1987, the Djemila (DJ) and Volubilis (V) archaeological sites constituted prosperous
and wide fortified towns located on large areas consisting of several hectares. Rock
fracturation is a major problem of stone decay and can occur due to anthropogenic
causes, environmental and atmospheric conditions (dissolution, contour scaling or
freeze-thaw cycles) or to the instability of the ground area (earthquake activity). Fractur-
ation patterns represent the common decay forms in the sites; thus if no treatment is
performed, weathering will lead to an irremediable loss of this archaeological evidence.
In V and especially in DJ, which is located in a plateau raised at 1000 m in altitude,
variations of diurnal and seasonal temperatures are more contrasted than the current
temperature and relative humidity (T-RH) air data recorded in western Europe. Microcli-
matic follow-ups were carried out over a duration of one month very near the stone sur-
face in winter (Tmean: 4–9°C) and in summer (Tmean: 12–55°C). Results show daily
temperature speed of more than 1.6°C h–1 per 24 h on the stone surface. Condensation
phases could occur as well in the summer period.
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 529

3. Materials
3.1. Limestones
The two studied rocks are extreme types: a hard grey limestone (in DJ) and a soft clay-
rich limestone (in V) both affected by severe cracks from different origins.
The main building stone in DJ is a very compact and hard limestone from the
Upper Senonian formation (Dessandier, Antonelli, Hamiane et al., 2008), mainly formed
by micritic calcite and non-clay minerals. Several generations of tectonic fractures affect
this rock, mainly clogged by iron oxide/hydroxide and calcite veins. Moreover, vein fill-
ing suggests syntaxial growth from the edges of the crack. Cracks in the field blocks,
that may or may not result from freeze–thaw stress, grow in two directions: (i) along or
at the interface between the filling material and the rock matrix showing a structural
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

weakness plane (Figure 1); and (ii) in a vertical direction resulting from a compressive
or bending stress. Other situations show an anthropogenic origin of the cracks due to
the partial reconstruction of the site. These vertical cracks are developed in a parallel or
perpendicular direction to the bedding.
According to the rock type, this stone has a low porosity between 0.5 and 3%
(EN1936), a specific surface area of 0.9–1.8 m2 g–1, a water saturation coefficient (Hir-
schwald, 1912) about 0.52–0.79 and a high compressive strength between 50 and 216
MPa (EN1926).
The tested limestone from the Volubilis site (V) is a building material used com-
monly for houses. Alteration is developed in various directions from the bedding planes
with concentric desquamated cups or plates contributing to the block destruction (Fig-
ure 2). Such peeling evolution underlines the competition in crack development
between external factors and the natural stone heterogeneity.
This local and soft molassic calcarenite is a rich terrigeneous rock from the Miocene
formation (Dessandier, Antonelli, Bouzidi et al., 2008). Formed by many clasts and
shell fragments, the stone is composed of micritic calcite (70–80%), dolomite, quartz
grains, apatite, iron oxide/hydroxide and clay minerals. XRD analysis (< 2 μm) shows
that the clay complex is composed of 12% kaolinite, illite and smectite. Swelling prop-
erties of smectites justify the high surface specific area of the stone (3.6 m2 g–1). This

Figure 1. Djemila site, wall of the Septimien temple. Location of cracks in the calcitic veins.
 530 J.-D. Mertz et al.
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

Figure 2. Volubilis site, baths of Gallienus. Alteration ‘in ball’ and peeling of the molassic
limestone.

porous material (36%) improves high water transfer properties, such as high water satu-
ration coefficient (0.98) and mechanical properties about 12 MPa in compressive
strength.

3.2. Mortars and injection grouts

The development of one mortar is not possible because of the heterogeneity and the
various types of natural stones. A listing of petrophysical properties and requirements
for stone–mortar compatibility was proposed (Henriques, 2004):

• low water absorption, drying and water vapour transfer rates;

• mechanical strength and elastic modulus lower than those of the stone;
• minimal shrinkage and good adhesion to the substrate;
• soluble salt content as low as possible; and
• dimensional stability similar to the stone.

The selected mortars correspond, on one hand, to the need for testing local and
home-made products, and on the other hand, to assessing ready-to-use formulations
which present well known injectability and mechanical properties adapted to the treat-
ment of fine and hair cracks (Kalagri, Miltiadou-Fezans, & Vintzileou, 2010). The
tested mortars are traditional hydrated lime products and pre-proportioned products,
optimised for restoration work in Europe (Table 1).

4. Origin of dilation
Porous materials exposed to air moisture variations can change in volume. For free salt
conditions, the modification in volume is characterised by an expansion during the
increasing water saturation phase and by a contraction within the desaturation phase
(Delgado-Rodriguez, 2001; Jimenez-Gonzalez & Scherer, 2006). Soluble salts can dis-
turb this evolution and underline the major influence of crystal growth on the effects of
water sorption (Lubelli, van Hees, Huinink, & Groot, 2006; Ruedrich, Kirchner, Seidel,
& Siegesmund, 2005; Ruedrich et al., 2007).
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 531

Table 1. Characterisation of mortars and grouts.

Denomination CL mortar NHL mortar PLM-M LEDAN TA1

Hydrated lime, Hydrated lime, Hydraulic Hydraulic mix-limes,

pouzzolana, pouzzolana, mix-limes, silica powder, natural
limestone limestone micronized pouzzolana, Glenium 51
Components powder, additive⁄ powder, additive⁄ silica additive⁄
Water/binder
1
1 0.7 0.8–1.6
ratio
Content Cl–/ — — < 0.01/0.30⁄⁄ —
SO42– (%) 0.1/2⁄⁄⁄
Compressive 4-5 4-7 30–46⁄⁄⁄ 13⁄⁄⁄
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

strength
(MPa)
Adherence < 0.05 < 0.08 nm 1.4⁄⁄⁄
(MPa)
D (kg 1570 1590 1780 1510
m3)⁄⁄⁄⁄
Hg (%) 36.3 34.9 22.5 34.9
<r> (μm) 0.28 0.42 0.11 0.22
SSA (m² g–1) 8.8 5.5 10.1 8.0
Use Filling mortar Filling mortar Ready-to-use Ready-to-use injection
injection grout
grout
—: not measured.⁄mass proportion of the mortar components: lime/pouzzolana/stone dust = 71/199/112 g
mixed with 0.5 ml Glenium 51 additive (BASF company).
⁄⁄
after Rousset B. (2004), report EC/BR/0460, EC-Lausanne, 9p, unpublished.
⁄⁄⁄
according to data sheets (3w.kremer-pigmente.com).
⁄⁄⁄⁄
D, apparent bulk density.ΦHg, porosity open to mercury.
<r> and SSA, average pore radius and surface specific area, calculated by mercury injection porosimetry (MIP
Micromeritics Autopore V).

When exposed to an RH change, the total dilation behaviour results from the
microstructural properties of the porous media, pore size distribution and connectivity.
In addition, presence of clay minerals has a major influence on the importance of dila-
tion (Franzini, Leoni, Lezzerini, & Cardelli, 2007; Jimenez-Gonzales, Rodriguez-Nav-
arro, & Scherer, 2008; Mertz, 2007; Sébastian et al., 2007). Thus, stone deformation
is more sensitive to the disjoining pressure in clays minerals to a change of RH than
to their crystallographic properties, which are not directly involved in the expansion–
contraction mechanism.
Several damages have been also reported involving the effect of temperature
(Ondrasina, Kirchner, & Siegesmund, 2002; Weiss et al., 2004). For example, marbles
often present high dilation values due to the tensorial properties of calcite (Figure 3).
According to the statistical orientation of the crystallographic c-axis in the stone (Gas-
con & Balbas, 1986; Kleber, 1959; Rosenholtz & Smith, 1949), large thermal anisot-
ropy could induce significant deformation of limestones and especially ornamental
marbles (Figure 4).
These variations enable different volume dilations according to the size, fitting and
the proportion of the minerals species. Studies performed on cement pastes (Meyers,
1950; Zoldners, 1972) have shown that the thermal dilation coefficient is a nonlinear
function of the internal moisture state in a porous network. This relation (Grasley &
Lange, 2007) indicates that hygric and thermal requirements should be considered
 532 J.-D. Mertz et al.

30

25 calcite

Linear thermal expansion

quartz
20

coefficient (10-6.K-1)
15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
-5
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

Angle between c-axis and the analysed plan (°)

-10

Figure 3. Change of thermal dilation coefficient of calcite and quartz at 20°C as a function of c-
axis position.

Figure 4. Deformation and fracturation of a funerary marble plate due to thermal variations.
Jewish Cemetery (Sélestat, F-67).

separately to evaluate the stability of materials within the framework of a compatibility

research.

5. Method
5.1. Dilation measurement
Global volumic dilation is of particular interest because it concerns all the phenomena
for which the direction of measurements is essential. Nevertheless, it is more suitable to
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 533

achieve length variation measurements according to a predefined direction, which pro-

vides better information on the heterogeneity of the materials.
In 1969, Baudran exposed the theoretical principles of dilation and the relationships
between composition and structure. For isothermal conditions and a steady state varia-
tion of relative humidity ΔRH, the linear hygric dilation coefficient eð
RHÞ of a porous
solid is:

eðDRHÞ ¼ DL=L: ð1Þ

For constant humidity conditions, the linear thermal dilation coefficient , is:

a ¼ DL=ðLDTÞ; ð2Þ
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

with L, the initial length of the sample; ΔL, length variation; and ΔT, temperature gradi-
ent.

5.2. Experimental conditions

Hygric and thermal dilation measurements were carried out on the same dilatometric
system. The equipment is composed by LVDT displacement sensors assembled on a
steel frame-holder (Figure 5). Sensor resolution is infinite and accuracy is in the range
of 0.3–0.37 μm. The linearity of the sensors (0.25%) is optimised on a fraction of the
effective measurement range (± 2 mm) using a thickness-standardised wedge of 100 μm
thickness recorded to the National Institute of Standard Technology (NIST). For isother-
mal conditions (21 ± 0.1°C), the drift of the sensors is less than 1 μm for a two-week
test (Figure 6).
Temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) are monitored using respectively a Pt
1000 probe and a HIH 4000 capacitive probe. The dilatometric system is located in a
LMS climatic chamber (–10 to +50°C) and is connected to an acquisition station HP
34970 controlled by data processing.
For each material, two kinds of experiments were performed. Hygric dilation mea-
surements were carried out for ΔRH conditions around 90%. Relative humidity versus
time is controlled by silica gel (0–10% RH) and a potassium sulphate supersaturated

Figure 5. Overview of the dilation set-up composed of eight LVDT sensors.

 534 J.-D. Mertz et al.

0.8

0.4
Time (h)

Stability (µm)
0.0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
-0.4

-0.8

-1.2

-1.6
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

-2.0

Figure 6. Monitoring of the stability of the eight sensors versus time for isothermal conditions
(T = 21 ± 0.1°C).

solution (K2SO4) inducing a theoretical air moisture of 97% RH at 20°C (Figure 7).
This humidity variation does not introduce any significant modification of the delivered
signal of the sensors during preliminar calibration. Thus when the system is in charge,
the sensor response is only the result of hygric deformation of the specimen without
any correction. Previous tests for time calibration were performed because RH steady
state is a function of the sample volume, pore structure and hygroscopicity. The results
showed that moisture equilibrium between the air atmosphere and the porous material
has a duration of around 4–6 days.
Thermal dilation measurements were carried out for a variation in temperature ΔT =
40 ± 1°C. The time taken to reach temperature stability between the two stages (5 to
45°C) is around 12 hours. The RH inside the chamber during the cycle shows a small
decrease of humidity which does not exceed 2–4% RH (Figure 8).
The total dilation of the steel frame-holder induces an important error due to its
own dilation. During the experiments a continuous correction (blank) is introduced by

100 24

80
Relative humidity (%)

Temperature (°C)

23

60
22
0 2 4 6 8 10
40

21
20

0 Time (days) 20

Figure 7. T/RH conditions performed during hygric dilation tests (black triangles: humidity;
grey curve: temperature).
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 535

50
14

10 40

Relative humidity (%)

Temperature (°C)
6
30
2

-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 20

-6
10
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

-10

-14 Time (days) 0

Figure 8. T/RH conditions performed during thermal dilation tests (black triangles: temperature;
grey curve: relative humidity).

using an Invar® bar (nickel steel alloy FeNi36), which has the same length as the sam-
ples, to determinate the true dilation of the whole steel frame-holder. Within the tests,
the samples and the Invar bar were submitted to the same variation in temperature.
Because the theoretical value α of Invar is well known, ΔLinvar is deduced for the
applied temperature conditions.
This correction allows calculation of the thermal expansion ΔLsample of the samples
submitted to the change of temperature ΔT:

DLsample ¼ ðDLsample  DXinvar Þmeasured þ DLinvar ; ð3Þ

where ΔLsample measured is the measured expansion of the sample, and Δxinvar measured is
the measured expansion of the Invar bar αinvar = 1.5 × 10–6 K–1.
Samples are parallelepiped or cylindrical test-tubes of 60 mm height. Four speci-
mens of each material were tested for reproducibility validation.

6. Results and discussion

Material deformation is monitored (i) for one single cycle respectively between low (0–
5% RH) (Figure 7) and high humidity (95–97% RH) and then (ii) for one single cycle
between 5 and 45°C for thermal stress (Figure 8) according to the effective T-RH air
monitoring in the sites.
Thermo-hygric behaviours (Figures 9 and 10) of the stones (V, DJ) show contrasted
and opposed situations (ɛV > ɛDJ and αV < αDJ). The hard compacted limestone DJ is
not sensitive to air moisture due to a low permeability (k =
10–17 m²) and a lot of
grain-to-grain contacts.
However, mineral connectivity is favourable to heat transfer and enables high ther-
mal expansion, especially for samples DJ5 affected by vein filling formed by well ori-
ented calcitic crystals (Figures 1 and 10).
Conversely, the soft molassic calcarenite V is very reactive to air moisture. The
large expansion in the range of 0.58–0.75 × 10–3 is always more significant in the per-
 536 J.-D. Mertz et al.

0.9 100
0.8
Vv
0.7 80
Vh
Hygric dilation (10-3 )
0.6

T(°C) - RH(%)
0.5 60
0.4
0.3 40
0.2
0.1 Dj6 20
0 Dj5
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

-0.1 0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Time (h)

Figure 9. Hygric monitoring of hard (DJ5, DJ6) and clay-rich (V) limestone types (Vv and Vh:
respectively perpendicular and parallel to the bedding; open circles: relative humidity; T = 21.3 ±
0.1°C).

35 50

30
40
Thermal expansion (µm)

25

20 Dj5
30 Temperature (°C)
15
Dj6
10 20
Vv
5
Vh 10
0

-5 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Time (h)

Figure 10. Comparative thermal dilations of hard (DJ5, DJ6) and clay-rich (Vv and Vh)
limestone types (open circles: temperature; 2 < RH < 4%).

pendicular direction than for the stratigraphic plans (Figure 9). Such differentiation is
attributed to the distribution of smectitic swelling minerals with respect to the bedding.
The opposite behaviour in dilation processes of the two limestones highlights the dual-
ity between pore structure and mineralogy.
To investigate the compatibility between the materials, the same experiments were
carried out on the mortars. Hygric dilations of home-made mortars (0.8 to 1.1 × 10–3)
present similar expansions (Figure 11).
But expansion properties of mortars and grouts (Figures 11 and 12) show different
kinetics according to their microstructural characteristics. The home-made mortar binder
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 537

2 100

Hygric dilation (10 -3)

1.5 80

T(°C) - RH(%)
1 60

0.5 40

0 20
NHL
CL
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

-0.5 0
0 100 200 300 400
Time (h)

Figure 11. Hygric dilation of lime mortars CL (black curves) and NHL (grey curves) (open
circles: humidity; T = 21.3 ± 0.1°C).

2 100
Hygric dilation (10 -3)

1.5 PLM 80

T(°C) - RH(%)
1 LEDAN 60

0.5 40

0 20

-0.5 0
0 100 200 300 400
Time (h)

Figure 12. Hygric dilation of grouts PLM (grey curves) and LEDAN (black curves) (open
circles: humidity; T = 21.3 ± 0.1°C).

(calcitic lime [CL], natural hydraulic lime [NHL]) presents a high surface specific area
(SSA: 5–9 m² g–1) due to the very fine lime and pouzzolana addition. Nevertheless,
SSA of ready-to-use grouts and especially the PLM product is still higher because the
use of fine micronized silica (>100 m² g–1) still increases external surfaces and the glo-
bal SSA of this grout (10.1 m² g–1). These additives fill the intergranular pore spaces
that significantly reduce the average pore radius <r> of the materials (Table 1). Accord-
ing to the Kelvin law, the pore size <r> in which condensation can occur is proportional
to 1/RH. Exposed to high relative humidity of up to 95% RH, vapour adsorption capac-
ity of the injection grouts increases as the pore network structure is more microporous.
Structural properties and composition could explain the large hygric dilation of the
PLM product which differs from the LEDAN product by (i) the rate of water vapour
 538 J.-D. Mertz et al.

adsorption and (ii) the final dilation coefficient value (Figure 12). The inverse correla-
tion between specific surface area and average pore size justifies the different hygric
swelling kinetic of these products.
Thermal behaviours show large differences between home-made mortars and grouts.
The ready-to-use products present a higher mechanical strength and develop a moderate
final dilation (5 to 10 × 10–6 °K–1) close to the stones (Figures 12 and 14). In contrast,
home-made mortars (Figure 13) are characterised by a high dilation value (αth= 10 to
15 × 10–6 °K–1) but a slow dilation kinetic. The gradual expansion could be the result
of both the porosity and the weak cohesion of the mortars, reducing heat conductivity
at grain boundaries due to the dilation contrast between the trapped air (36 to 37 × 10–6
°K–1) into the pore and the minerals.
Direct analysis of the plotted dilation data based on the αth and ɛhyg calculated coef-
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

ficients provides information on the theoretical compatibility between studied stones

and mortars (Figure 15). Nevertheless, temperature and humidity variations in natural
environments are not applicable in the same way as frequency and amplitude. Indeed,
the effective stress induced by dilation cannot be considered as the sum effect of the
maximal hydric and thermal dilations because the involved kinetics are different. The
application of a poroelastic model implies that other material properties are taken into
account, e.g. elastic modulus (E) and Poisson coefficient (ν) at dry and wet states, but
also initial and final states as stabilised steady states. On a monument this condition is
rarely reached because evaporation occurs if the temperature increases. As a conse-
quence, this implies that RH and hygric swelling decrease.
In sustainable restoration work, adaptation of candidate products to the filling of
cracks can be performed using a T-RH sensitivity threshold, i.e. the T-value (Figure 16)
for which deformation induced by temperature and humidity changes are similar. This
parameter is defined as the equilibrium temperature value for which hygric expansion is
equal to thermal expansion. Traditional homemade lime mortars present high sensitivity
as soon as the temperature variation reaches 50°C or 55°C. The contrasted dilation
properties are favourable to crack development at the stone–mortar interface, especially

60
CL
NHL 40
50
Thermal expansion (µm)

40
Temperature (°C)

30
30

20 20

10
10
0

-10 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Time (h)

Figure 13. Comparative thermal dilation of the mortars CL (black curves) and NHL (grey
curves) (open circles: temperature; 2 < RH < 4%).
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 539

60
PLM 40
50
LEDAN

Thermal expansion (µm)

40

Temperature (°C)
30
30

20 20

10
10
0
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

-10 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Time (h)

Figure 14. Thermal dilation of the injection grouts PLM-M (grey curves) and LEDAN (black
curves). (open circles: temperature; 2 < RH < 4%).

18
16
Thermal dilation coefficient

14
12
α th (10 /°K)

10
-6

8
DJ
6 LEDAN
PLM
4 NHL
2 CL
V
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
-3
Hygric dilation ε hyg (10 )

Figure 15. Dilation coefficient values of the materials (ɛhyg calculated for ΔRH = 85%).

when the adherence of the mortars is low (< 0.08 MPa). Conversely, the tested injection
grouts and the calcarenite (V) are not really affected by temperature because their T-val-
ues are not realistic in natural environments. They are mainly reactive to air moisture
despite the arid climatic conditions in the Djemila and Volubilis sites. This static analy-
sis underlines the importance of dilation parameters which are generally missed in the
data sheet of the products.

7. Conclusion
Expansion of stones and mortars likely to be used for the treatment of cracked rocks
was carried out during controlled temperature and humidity changes. Unidirectional
 540 J.-D. Mertz et al.

180
Thermo-
160
hygric
140 threshold
120 (°C)

100
80
60
40
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

20
0
Dj CL NHL LEDAN PLM V

Figure 16. Thermo-hygric sensitivity threshold of the studied materials.

dimension variations measurements were performed by using a dilatometric system

designed in the laboratory. The development of the method allows quantification of the
dilation parameters for testing the behaviour of reassembled stones. This laboratory pro-
cedure constitutes a first step in a decision-making aid tool to validate practical choices
for fieldwork restoration.
According to the dilation measurements, expansion raw data are well correlated with
structural and mineralogical parameters of the materials, e.g. SSA, average pore radius
<r> and amount of swelling clay minerals. However, the thermo-hygric expansion
described by Hooke’s law leads to a situation of maximum stress field before the frac-
ture occurs at the stone-mortar interface. Characterisation of the concentrated stress zone
and energy dissipation into the interface will be undertaken in order to check the evolu-
tion of the sticking in dynamic conditions and to assess sustainable compatibility on the
long term.

Acknowledgement
The research was supported by the UE project MEDISTONE n°015245 FP6-INCO-MPC2.

References
Al-Saad, Z., & Abdel-Halim, M.A.H. (2001). Laboratory evaluation of various types of mortars
for the conservation of Qsar al-Bint monument, Petra-Jordan. Engineering Structures, 23,
926–933.
Baudran, A. (1969). Conception et réalisation d’un dilatomètre absolu enregistreur pouvant foncti-
onner à haute température en atmosphère contrôlée. Utilisation pour l’étude du comportement
de minéraux argileux. Bulletin de la Societe Francaise de Ceramique, 82, 3–48.
Benavente, D., Cultrone, G., & Gomez-Heras, M. (2008). The combined influence of mineralogi-
cal, hygric and thermal properties on the durability of porous building stones. European Jour-
nal of Mineralogy, 20, 673–685.
Binda, L., Baronio, G., Marrochino, E., & Vaccaro, C. (2004). Chemical and mineralogical char-
acterization of historic mortars in Ferrara (northeast Italy). Cement and Concrete Research,
34, 1471–1475.
 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 541

Brimblecombe, P., & Camuffo, D. (2003). Long term damage to the built environment. In P.
Brimblecombe (Ed.), The effect of air pollution on the built environment. Air pollution
reviews (pp. 1–30). London: Imperial College Press.
Bromblet, P. (2000). Evaluation of the durability and compatibility of traditional repair lime-based
mortars on three limestones. International Journal for Restoration of Buildings and Monu-
ments, 6, 513–528.
Cooper, H.W., & Simmons, G. (1977). The effect of cracks on the thermal expansion of rocks.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 36, 404–412.
Delgado-Rodriguez, J. (2001). Swelling behaviour of stones and its interest in conservation. Mate-
riales de Construccion, 51(263–264), 183–195.
Dessandier, D., Antonelli, F., Bouzidi, R., El Rhoddani, M., Kamel, S., Lazzarini, L., Leroux, L.,
& Varti-Matarangas, M. (2008). Atlas of the ornamental and building stones of Volubilis
ancient site (Morocco). BRGM (Ed.), final report RP-55539-FR, 170p.
Dessandier, D., Antonelli, F., Hamiane, M., Khalfallah, C., Lazzarini, L., Leroux, L., Riache, C.,
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

Taoutaou, H., & Varti-Matarangas, M. (2008). Atlas of the ornamental and building stones of
Djemila ancient site (Algeria). BRGM (Ed.), final report RP-56277-FR, 171p.
Dessandier, D., Bromblet, P., & Mertz, J.-D. (2000). Durability of tuffeau stone in buildings:
influence of mineralogical composition and microstructural properties. In V. Fassina (Ed.), 9th
International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone (vol. 1, pp. 69–78). Ven-
ice: Elsevier.
Franzini, M., Leoni, L., Lezzerini, M., & Cardelli, R. (2007). Relationship between mineralogical
composition, water absorption and hygric dilatation in the Macigno sandstones from Lunigi-
ana (Massa, Tuscany). European Journal of Mineralogy, 19, 113–123.
Gascon, F., & Balbas, M. (1986). Modelo tensorial en la dilatacion lineal termica anisotropa de
marmoles. Boletin Geoologico y Minero de España, 97, 793–802.
Grasley, Z.C., & Lange, D.A. (2007). Thermal dilation and internal relative humidity of hardened
cement paste. Materials and Structures, 40, 311–317.
Henriques, F.M.A. (2004). Replacement mortars in conservation: an overview. In D. Kwiatkowski
& R. Löfvendahl (Eds.) Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on Deterioration and
Conservation of Stone, vol. II (pp. 973–983). Stockholm, 27 June–2 July 2004.
Hirschwald, J. (1912). Handbuch der bautechnischen Gesteinsprüfung. Berlin: Borntraeger.
Jimenez-Gonzalez, I., Rodriguez-Navarro, C., & Scherer, G.W. (2008). Role of clay minerals in
the physicomechanical deterioration of sandstone. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113,
F02021. doi: 10.1029/2007/JF000845.
Jimenez-Gonzalez, I., & Scherer, G.W. (2006). Evaluating the potential damage to stones from
wetting and drying cycles. In M.S. Konsta-Gdoutos (Ed.), Measuring, Monitoring and Model-
ing Concrete Properties (pp. 685–693). The Netherlands: Springer.
Kalagri, A., Miltiadou-Fezans, A., & Vintzileou, E. (2010). Design and evaluation of hydraulic
lime grouts for the strengthening of stone masonry historic structures. Materials and Struc-
tures, 43, 1135–1146.
Kleber, W. (1959). Einführung in die Kistallographie. Berlin: VEB Verlag Technik.
Knöfel, D., & Schubert, P. (1993). Mörtel und Steinergänzungsstoffe in der Denkmalpflege. Ber-
lin.
Lubelli, B., van Hees, R.P.J., Huinink, H.P., & Groot, C.J.W.P. (2006). Irreversible dilation of
NaCl contamined lime-cement mortar due to crystallization cycles. Cement and Concrete
Research, 36, 678–684.
Maurenbrecher, A.H.P., Trischuk, K., Rousseau, M.Z., & Subercasseaux, M.I. (2007). Les mor-
tiers de rejointoiement pour la conservation des maçonneries anciennes (Rapport de recher-
che 225), March 2007. Ottawa, Canada, KIA OR: Institut de recherche en construction et
CNRC.
Mertz, J.-D. (2007). Salt damage, dilation and actual practices in sandstone conservation. In
Dombaumeistertagung in Strassburg : Tagungsdokumentation, Strasbourg, october 10–14,
2006. Fondation de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, 2007, 153–156.
Meyers, S.L. (1950). Thermal expansion characteristics of hardened cement paste and of concrete.
Proceedings of the Highway Research Board, 30, 193.
Ondrasina, J., Kirchner, D., & Siegesmund, S. (2002). Freeze-thaw cycles and their influence on
marble deterioration: a long-term experiment. Geological Society of London, Special Publica-
tions, 205, 9–18.
 542 J.-D. Mertz et al.

Rozenholtz, J.L., & Smith, D.Z. (1949). Linear thermal expansion of calcite, var. Iceland spar and
Yule marble. American Mineralogist, 34, 846–854.
Ruedrich, J., Kirchner, D., Seidel, M., & Siegesmund, S. (2005). Deterioration of natural building
stones induced by salt and ice crystallisation in the pore space as well as hygric expansion
Processes. In Siegesmund, S., Auras, M., Ruedrich, J., & Snethlage, R., (Eds.) Geowissens-
chaften und Denkmalpflege. Zeitschrift deutsche Geologische, 156(1), 59–73.
Ruedrich, J., Seidel, M., Rothert, E., & Siegesmund, S. (2007). Length changes of sandstones
caused by salt crystallisation. In R. Prikryl & B.J. Smith (Eds.), Building Stone Decay: From
Diagnosis to Conservation. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 271, 199–209.
Sasse, H.R., & Snethlage, R. (1996). Methods for evaluation of stone conservation treatments, In
N.S. Baer & R. Snethlage (Eds.) Saving our architectural heritage: The conservation of his-
toric stone structures (pp. 223–243). (Report of the Dahlem Workshop), Berlin, 3–8 March
1996.
Sebastian, E., Cultrone, G., Benavente, D., Rodriguez-Navarro, C., & Linares, L. (2008). Swelling
Downloaded by [University of Prince Edward Island] at 09:26 15 April 2013

damage in clay-rich sandstones used in Cultural Heritage. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 9,

66–76.
Siegesmund, S., Ullemeyer, K., Weiss, T., & Tschegg, E.K. (2000). Physical weathering of mar-
bles caused by anisotropic thermal expansion. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 89,
170–182.
Snethlage, R., & Wendler, E. (1997). Moisture cycles and sandstone degradation. In N.S. Baer &
R. Snethlage (Eds.), Saving our architectural heritage: The conservation of historic stone
structures (pp. 7–24). London: John Wiley.
Van Balen, K., Papayanni, I., Van Hees, R., Binda, L., & Waldum, A. (2005). Characterisation of
old mortars with respect to their repair: Introduction to requirements for and functions and
properties of repair mortars. Materials and Structures, 38, 781–785.
Weiss, T., Siegesmund, S., Kirchner, D., & Sippel, J. (2004). Insolation weathering and hygric
dilatation: two competitive factors in stone degradation. Environmental Geology, 46, 402–
413.
Winkler, E.M. (1987). Weathering and weathering rates of natural stones. Environmental Geology
and Water Sciences, 9, 85–92.
Zezza, U., Massa, V., Venchiarutti, D., & Previde Massara, E. (1985). Effect of temperature on
intergranular decohesion of the marbles. Presses Polytechniques Romandes. In 5ème Congrès
International sur l’Altération et la Conservation de la Pierre : actes. Lausanne, 25–27
septembre 1985, 131–140.
Zoldners, N.G. (1972). Thermal properties of concrete under sustained elevated temperature.
American Concrete Institute, Symposium Publications, 25(1), 1–32.