- Author
- Stutzman, P. E. | Clifton, J. R.
- Title
- Stone Exposure Test Wall at NIST.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- Geotechnical Special Publication 72,
- Book or Conf
- Degradation of Natural Building Stone Conference. Proceedings. American Society of Civil Engineering. Geotechnical Special Publication 72. October 5-8, 1997, American Society of Civil Engineering, Reston, VA, Minneapolis, MN, Labuz, J. F., Editors, 20-32 p., 1997
- Keywords
- construction | exposure
- Identifiers
- mortar; marble; sandstone; granite
- Abstract
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Stone Test Wall was originally built in 1948 at the old National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) site in Washington DC. It was moved intact in May 1977 to its present site at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. The purpose of the stone test wall is to study the performance of stone subjected to weathering. It contains 2,352 individual samples of stone, 2032 of which are domestic stone from 47 states, and 320 stones from foreign countries. Over 30 distinct types of stones are represented, some of which are not commonly used for building purposes. There are many varieties of the common types used in building, such as marble, limestone, sandstone, and granite. Unexposed specimens have been stored indoors at room temperature and humidity facilitating the determination of weathering effects. The type and extent of degradation observed in the stone specimens varies greatly, ranging from deep erosion to mild scaling (sugaring!). In general, specimens of stones commonly found in buildings and mcnuments exhibited minor or slight degradation, usually some discoloration or scaling. The types and extent of degradation are descirbed, with emphasis on the common building stone. Also, ways to quantify the amount of degradation using computerized imaging techniques are discussed.