Assessment of the Resistance of Dolomite Stone from Crac des Chevaliers Against Salt Crystallization

Salt crystallization significantly impacts the durability of dolomite stones from Crac des Chevaliers, a 12th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, with weathering patterns varying by salt type and stone porosity. The study found that while open porosity primarily influences resistance, closed porosity also plays a critical role in decay mechanisms. Sodium sulfate caused granular disintegration, sodium chloride led to pitted surfaces, and magnesium sulfate induced surface exfoliation into thin layers. Notably, NaCl was less aggressive than sulfates. Researchers tested six dolomite lithotypes—two microbioclastic wackstones with low open porosity (11–18 v/v%) and four microcrystalline dolomites (28 v/v% open porosity)—under salt aging in three solutions: sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and sodium sulfate.

Bilal, O., & Rozgonyi-Boissinot, N. (2023). Assessment of the Resistance of Dolomite Stone from Crac des Chevaliers Against Salt Crystallization. Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering. https://doi.org/10.3311/ppci.21606