Evaluation of Dimension Stone According to Resistance to Freeze– Thaw Cycling to Use in Cold Regions

Abstract

Freezing is one of the most effective natural and environmental factors on the physical and mechanical characteristics of dimension stones. Since, freezing is a destructive agent, thus causes the undesirable stone conditions and reduces quality and its efficiency. This study, it was aimed to evaluate and rank the dimension stones according to their changes in physical and mechanical properties due to freezing conditions. For this purpose, 14 rock types of the most widely used dimension stones in cold regions were collected and transferred to the laboratory to determine their physical and mechanical characteristics. In laboratory tests, standard samples of stones were prepared, and for all of the samples Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS), Durability Index (DI), Density (D), and Water absorption percentage (Wa) were determined before and after different freezing–thawing cycles. Then utility degree of studied stones in frost condition was assessed using the preference ranking organization method for enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE) multi-criteria decision-making method. The results of the study showed that samples of A3 (Piranshahr Granat), A10 (Hamadan black granite), A8 (Azarshahr yellow travertine), and A4 (Mahabad gray granite) are in order from the highest degree of desirability in a condition of freezing–thawing and for use in cold climates are especially suitable for use in outdoor and urban spaces. In addition, the results of the laboratory were evaluated by the PSO algorithm for clustering analysis and com-pared with the ranking result by PROMETHEE. The results obtained demonstrated the proposed approach could be an efficient tool in the evaluation of the freezing phenomenon on physical and mechanical properties of dimension stones. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Pouyan Press.