Assessing the parameters affecting on ultrasonic wave velocity of some building stones used in Iran

Ultrasonic wave velocity testing is a non-destructive, economical, simple and rapid method used for determining the physical and engineering properties of rock. This test is based on the velocity of the elastic wave in rocks. The ultrasonic wave velocity of rocks depends on intrinsic and environmental properties such as mineralogical composition, density, porosity, grain size, shape, texture, anisotropy, water content, and temperature of rocks. In this research, 10 different types of building stone, including limestone and granite, were cut into 50 cubic specimens with dimensions of 10Í4Î4 cm, and then they were tested using the Pandit wave velocity testing machine to find the effective parameters on the velocity of the ultrasonic wave should be investigated in them. These parameters include dry unit weight, temperature, type of pore fluid, state of filling material and loading. Based on the obtained results, the correlation between ultrasonic wave velocity and dry unit weight is a direct linear relationship and its relationship with the type of pore fluid condition of the filling material and loading is inverse relationship. In addition, increasing the temperature increases the velocity of the ultrasonic wave. Also, in terms of the type of pore fluid, the lowest value of the wave velocity was obtained in the state saturated with water and the highest value of the wave velocity was obtained in the common salt solution with a concentration of 150%. Regarding the state of the rock pore filling material, the highest velocity value was observed in the frozen filling state and the lowest velocity value was observed in the air filling state. As the load increases, the velocity of the ultrasonic waves decreases in the studied rocks.