Alteration of granite stone used in building construction

Abstract

The article contains a synthesis of the different factors involved in the alteration of granite ashlars or cladding used in building construction. Emphasis is placed on the – primarily fissure-like – anisotropies often present in granite, which are usually related to the structural conditions of the quarry where it is mined. Such anisotropies condition the development of certain types of alterations that appear over time, particularly in ashlars. Stone petrography, particularly as regards the chemical composition of the minerals comprising granite, also govern its alteration. Moreover, the commercial term granite often includes other more alkaline rocks generically known as granitoids, whose alterability is higher than in granite per se. The values of some of the physical properties of these rocks, which must be quantified to evaluate their durability, are shown to differ in keeping with their anisotropy. Finally, the forms, causes and mechanisms involved in granite decay are reviewed in the context of its use in building construction.