Evaluation of the effect of freeze–thaw cycles on mechanical properties of porous rocks: A case study of Mahallat Travertine

The durability of rocks under variable climatic conditions is a determining factor in the use of natural rocks as building stones. Severe climate change can damage the rock structure. Therefore, to use stones as engineering and construction materials, it is necessary to evaluate their stability to different cycles of heating and cooling, wetting and drying, as well as freezing and thawing. Due to the diversity of climatic conditions in Iran, which has cold and hot, dry, and coastal areas, the freeze-thawing cycles of water is one of the most important environmental factors that can cause erosion and change the physical and mechanical properties of rocks. In the present study, the aim is to evaluate the strength changes of travertine samples as porous rock due to freezing and thawing cycles. Changes in compressive and tensile strength of the samples were determined during 10 freezing and thawing cycles. The results showed that the compressive strength of the samples was reduced by about 13.6% after freezing-thawing cycles. Also, the tensile strength of the samples has decreased by about 2.2%. Considerable reduction of compressive strength of samples in 10 cycles indicates the significant effect of freeze-thaw cycles on travertine rock.