title: Chemo-mechanics of salt damage in stone.
abstract: Many porous materials are damaged by pressure exerted by salt crystals growing in their pores. This is a serious issue in conservation science, geomorphology, geotechnical engineering and concrete materials science. In all cases, a central question is whether crystallization pressure will cause damage. Here we present an experiment in which the crystallization pressure and the pore saturation are varied in a controlled way. We demonstrate that a strain energy failure criterion can be used to predict when damage will occur. The experiment considered is the most widely used means to study the susceptibility to salt crystallization, so quantification of this test has far-reaching implications.
authors.affiliation: 1] Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, Institut für Baustoffe, ETH Zürich, HIF E11, B60.2 and E22.2, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3, Zurich 8093, Switzerland [2] Sika Technology AG, Corporate Research, Tüffenwies 16, Zurich 8048, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Flatt
authors.affiliation: Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, Institut für Baustoffe, ETH Zürich, HIF E11, B60.2 and E22.2, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3, Zurich 8093, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Physical Chemistry of Building Materials, Institut für Baustoffe, ETH Zürich, HIF E11, B60.2 and E22.2, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3, Zurich 8093, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Asel Maria Aguilar
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, E319 Engineering Quad, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Scherer