Chemical and physical analysis of sandstone and relationship with weathering damage of Madâin Sâlih monuments

Abstract

The present work aims to study the effect of weathering - produced sands across the area in the weathering damage of sandstones in Madâin Sâlih (Saudi Arabia). Our approach is to investigate some chemical and physical properties of sand samples from the study area. The weathered point in this arid area is Qsar al Bint or Place of the daughter monument in which five different samples have been collected. The analysis of scanning electron microscope images reveals that sand surfaces have different roughness and some surface areas were broken except for the rock samples. According to energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis, the rock samples reveal the presence of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al and Fe at the surface. Mineralogy study using X-ray diffraction revealed that sandstones are clay-cemented sandstone. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the inorganic binding agent of silica grains is essentially Kaolonite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4).

Keywords

• Chemical and physical analysis
• mineralogical study
• sandstone weathering
• Madâin Sâlih
• sand motion