Capillarity test monitored by X-ray computer tomography in sandstones. A comparative study with standard methods

Abstract

Computerized axial tomography studies were conducted to analyze water movements inside rocks (specifically in La Marina sandstone, used to build some of the historic monuments in Asturias, northern Spain). The X-ray images of water uptake by the stone interior recorded during capillarity tests provided supplementary information not furnished by conventional methods. The three-dimensional images obtained showed the position of the water front over time and its relationship to rock petrography. The volume of water-soaked rock proved to be a more realistic measure of stone capillarity. The results obtained were compared to mean capillarity measured as recommended in Spanish and European standard UNE-EN 1925:1999.

Keywords

• x-rays
• tomography
• capillarity
• rocks
• la marina sandstone