Critical Degree of Saturation in Frost Weathering of Limestones

Authors: Angélique Prick, Université de Liège

Abstract

The moisture content has a deciding impact on the behaviour of a rock undergoing frost action. A particular critical degree of saturation Scr characterizes each material; only when the moisture content exceeds Scr will the material be damaged by frost. This parameter was defined for ten French limestones by measuring their dynamic Young’s modulus. Scr values depend on porosimetric characteristics of the rocks, especially their trapped porosity. The critical degree of saturation accounts for the various rock dilatometrical behaviours during freeze-thaw cycle.