Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

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Construction and Building Materials

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Water absorption and drying features of different natural building stones

Y. Ozcelik a,⇑, A. Ozguven b
a
Hacettepe University, Department of Mining Engineering, Ankara, Turkey
b
General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Ankara, Turkey

h i g h l i g h t s

 Water absorption is one of the most important attributes of natural building stones.
 Porosity of more water absorbing stones is also an accelerating factor for drying process.
 First 24 h are very important for water absorption and drying.
 Apparent density, open and total porosity properties are highly related with water absorption ratio.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: It is very important to know the properties of natural stones that are used in building construction in
Received 22 January 2014 order to determine the specific areas of usage. Among those, water absorption is one of the most
Received in revised form 13 March 2014 important as it determines various mechanical and physical properties. The objectives of this study are
Accepted 2 April 2014
to determine the water absorption characteristics of natural building stones with different composition,
structure and texture properties, to determine the parameters affecting the water absorption ratio and to
obtain the drying features of natural building stones. For this purpose, in this study 12 natural building
Keywords:
stones with different structural and textural properties are studied in detail based on their water absorp-
Natural building stones
Water absorption
tion attributes. For every rock type, graphics of water absorption against time are prepared and evaluated.
Drying The relationships of density, apparent density, open porosity, total porosity and open/total porosity ratios
Density with water absorption are studied. The drying features of the samples which absorbed water are also
Porosity determined. Relationships between standard times and measured real times are obtained and the results
Mineralogical-petrographical properties of detailed evaluations are presented with the purpose of helping standard developers and experimental
researchers. The results of these tests indicate that first 24 h are very important for water absorption and
drying test and apparent porosity, open and total porosity properties are highly related with water
absorption ratio. On the other hand, it is found that porosity of more water absorbing stones is also an
accelerating factor for drying process.
Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Water absorption (WA) value is one of the most important
parameters of rocks which have an impact upon their physical
and mechanical properties [1]. This is particularly important for
building stones, as it affects their hygiene, aesthetics and also
structural safety [2,3].
Water absorption is the proportion of water which can be
absorbed by stone under specific immersion conditions [4]. The
negative influences of water on many physical and mechanical
properties of stone are well known. Water softens stone and
decreases its strength, as well as its abrasion and frost resistances.
Stone with increased relative porosity and thus increased
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 312 2976447; fax: +90 312 2992155.
E-mail address: yilmaz@hacettepe.edu.tr (Y. Ozcelik).
absorption is more sensitive and hence less durable [5]. The value
obtained provides some indication of the stone’s performance in
service, particularly its strength, durability and stain resistance.
The water absorption value of a stone is also closely related to its
inherent apparent porosity, i.e. the volume of open pores accessible
to moisture within the stone [4].
Durability is a complex criteria determined by inherent
strength, water absorption and pore space. Lower water absorption
generally correlates to a greater durability, as it restricts the
passage of deleterious solutions, but a larger pore size can assist
with durability by reducing the pressure applied by salt or ice
crystallization on the walls of the pores [6].
There are three main factors that determine stain resistance;
these are water absorption, composition and appearance. The
weighting of each of these factors varies depending on the stone
type and application. Water absorption is directly related to stain

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.04.030
0950-0618/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
258 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270
resistance. Simply put, a higher water absorption capacity allows
for a higher ‘stain holding’ capacity [6].
There are many studies on the water absorption properties of
natural building stones. These studies are mostly focused on the
changes in the mechanical property of natural building stones
which have absorbed water [7,8]. A new rock classification system
(moisture index) has been presented in order to evaluate the prop-
erties of wet rock by Fahimifar and Soroush [9]. Karaca [3] analyzed
the water absorption and dehydration time of five different types of
natural building stones (marble, limestone, travertine, onyx and
granite). In that study, Karaca [3] tested final water absorption
ratios and drying features while ignoring the durations and course
of those processes. Dejian et al. [10] analyzed rock samples using a
water absorption test and scanning electron microscopic (SEM)
experiments. Sariisik et al. [11] studied on characterization of
physical and mechanical properties including water absorption of
natural stones affected by ground water under different ambient
conditions. But, these studies are not sufficient for fully explaining
the water absorption properties and drying features of natural
building stones. No studies focusing on the water absorption
properties and drying features of rocks with different structural
properties and formations are to be found in the literature.
The calculation methods and procedures employed to obtain
the water absorption value of rocks have been explained in several
publications, including ASTM C-97 [12], TS 699 [13] and RILEM
[14]. However, these standards do not provide any explanation of
the significance of sample dimension and time [1]. According to
these standards, water absorption experiments may be performed
with samples of different dimensions and for some of those stan-
dards, after certain durations (48 h) of water absorption or when
the water absorption levels of samples reach a specific point,
experiments are concluded. Obtaining proper results from water
absorption experiments is difficult and an experiment-planning
process is not possible due to the lack of discrimination between
different natural building stones according to their water absorp-
tion properties. For different types of natural building stones,
individual water absorption characteristics need to be determined
and approximate durations of water absorption for every natural
building stone must be calculated. Thus, the necessary revisions
for correcting the standards of water absorption experiments and
the addition of auxiliary information for planning experiments
may be added. This study is an important step towards executing
better and more efficient water absorption experiments.
2. Materials and methods
In this study, the water absorption and drying features of different types of nat-
ural building stones were characterized. To achieve this, natural building stone
samples were characterized and monitorized until they were completely saturated
and dried. In addition, physical tests (such as true density, apparent density and
open and total porosity tests) were carried out and the results were discussed.
Table 1
Types and names of samples.
Sample code Commercial name Stone type
T Denizli travertine Travertine
O Agri onyx Onyx
C Adana conglomera Conglomera
HP Hazar pink Limestone
DB Daisy beige Limestone
SB Sivrihisar beige Limestone
AG Afyon gray Marble
MM Mugla milas Marble
GA Gray andesite Andesite
PA Pink andesite Andesite
G Granite Granite
GG Green granite Granite
Fig. 1. Samples used in water absorption and drying test.
Rocks with different formation, structure, texture and porosity features were
chosen and water absorption and drying experiments were performed on 12
different samples which can be commercially obtained and are commonly. These
samples consisted of the following rock types: marbles, limestones, granites, ande-
sites, travertines, onyx and conglomerate. The names and types of these samples are
presented in Table 1, and their appearances in Fig. 1.
In order to better determine the water absorption and drying features of natural
building stones with different properties, experiments were performed with 10
samples for each stone. Experimental samples were prepared as cubes of
50 ± 5 mm dimensions and in accordance with the CSN EN 1936 [15] and CSN EN
13755 [16] standards. Samples were completely dried in an air-conditioned
drying-oven at 70 ± 5 °C and their weights were recorded. Water absorption exper-
iments were carried out in accordance with the CSN EN 13755 [16] standard, the
experimental samples were firstly half-submerged in water, after one hour, they
were three-quarters submerged, and at the end of the second hour, they were sub-
merged 25 ± 5 mm in the water. Specimens were taken out of the water, quickly
wiped with a damp cloth and were then weighed within an accuracy of 0.01 g.
Specimens were immersed again in water and the tests were continued. The water
absorption experiments were concluded when the specimens are completely
saturated. Over 6 days, 23 different readings were taken after short-term intervals
firstly then after longer intervals in order to better determine the water absorption
characteristics of the different natural building stones. Completely saturated spec-
imens were placed in an air-conditioned drying-oven at 70 ± 5 °C. Over 5 days, 22
different weight readings were taken after short-term and then longer-term
intervals.
In order to better evaluate their water absorption and drying features, the
samples were also tested for real density, apparent density, open and total porosity.
The results are shown in Table 2.
Tests were performed using a Accupyc 3600 multipicnometer with helium gas
in accordance with Real density ASTM D-5550-06 [17]. Apparent density, open and
total porosity experiments were performed according to the CSN EN 1936 [15]
standard.
Rock type The relationships between the chemical composition and water absorption
ratios of natural building stones were compared and studied regardless of their ori-
Sedimentary
gin and type. The compositions of natural building stones were determined using
Sedimentary
the XRF method and the results obtained are presented in Table 3. In addition to
Sedimentary
the effects of the main components (presented in Table 3) on water absorption
Sedimentary
ratios, the effects of lesser components (presented in Table 4) traced in specimens
Sedimentary
were also studied.
Sedimentary
Detailed studies were carried out to determine the effects of the chemical prop-
Metamorphic
erties of specimens on their water absorption ratio. Graphs based on these chosen
Metamorphic
parameters were drawn and relationships were investigated.
Igneous
Mineralogy is one of the most important factors that determine the kind of
Igneous
effects water has on stone types (physical, chemical or physico-chemical effects).
Igneous
Most minerals do not show any reaction to water; however some of them are very
Igneous
sensitive to water. The percentages of these minerals in rocks must be determined
 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 259

Table 2
Physical properties of samples.

Sample Density (g/cm3) Apparent density (g/cm3) Open porosity (%) Total porosity (%) Open/total porosity ratio (%) Water absorption (%)
T 2.6990 2.4876 3.07 7.83 39.19 1.42
O 2.7264 2.6684 0.84 2.13 39.71 0.27
C 2.7048 2.6768 0.58 1.03 55.97 0.33
HP 2.7379 2.6549 1.78 3.03 58.66 1.00
DB 2.7239 2.6781 1.10 1.68 65.50 0.44
SB 2.7222 2.6980 0.45 0.89 50.57 0.20
AG 2.7189 2.7128 0.18 0.22 82.96 0.07
MM 2.7269 2.7124 0.29 0.53 54.29 0.12
PA 2.6172 2.2844 7.70 12.71 60.58 3.99
GA 2.6352 2.3480 4.60 10.90 42.24 3.24
G 2.6976 2.6689 0.89 1.06 83.96 0.37
GG 3.1309 3.0881 0.78 1.37 56..90 0.24

Table 3
Water absorption and chemical analysis results of examined specimens.

No Sample WA Na2O MgO Al2O3 SiO2 K2O CaO TiO2 MnO Fe2O3 Li
1 T 1.42 0.07 1.36 2.31 1.34 0.58 56.18 0.18 0.04 1.96 35.87
2 O 0.27 0.08 0.91 0.63 1.81 0.78 52.11 0.35 0.05 2.20 40.82
3 C 0.33 0.07 3.87 3.57 21.01 0.75 36.90 0.30 0.05 3.13 29.84
4 HP 1.00 0.08 0.03 0.09 0.28 0.01 62.96 0.00 0.01 0.06 36.92
5 DB 0.44 0.07 1.03 1.81 1.44 0.97 58.76 0.31 0.04 2.59 32.80
6 SB 0.20 0.09 0.67 1.82 1.88 0.64 50.53 0.32 0.05 1.87 41.83
7 AG 0.07 0.07 0.89 0.50 0.72 0.48 48.63 0.76 0.16 0.81 46.83
8 MM 0.12 0.08 0.03 0.32 1.20 0.01 61.03 0.01 0.01 0.09 37.84
9 PA 3.99 2.21 4.15 15.36 61.75 2.97 5.92 0.50 0.07 5.64 1.84
10 GA 3.24 3.52 3.14 16.56 59.81 2.85 4.56 0.34 0.04 5.04 3.87
11 G 0.37 2.90 0.42 16.20 66.86 5.39 2.74 0.11 0.04 3.21 1.93
12 GG 0.24 0.08 11.83 17.48 48.21 0.85 9.34 0.72 0.14 10.19 0.74

Table 4
Water absorption ratios and trace element values of examined specimens.

No Elements WA Ni Cu Zn Ga As Sr Y Zr Nb Sb Ba Ce
Sample % ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm
1 T 1.4 4.4 8.9 17.2 3.5 2.8 2702.0 1.0 58.0 3.6 1.0 448.0 19.0
2 O 0.3 3.6 10.2 37.2 6.9 5.0 245.9 8.4 83.9 5.5 1.1 132.7 35.9
3 C 0.3 1.1 13.4 31.9 6.6 4.6 2703.0 3.6 67.0 6.1 1.0 44.6 23.5
4 HP 1.0 5.7 2.1 3.9 1.7 0.8 269.4 0.8 13.7 5.9 1.0 16.4 16.2
5 DB 0.4 3.3 9.1 36.1 9.4 6.0 145.1 11.9 147.1 15.1 1.1 34.8 47.5
6 SB 0.2 2.4 7.8 27.1 6.5 4.8 249.7 6.9 66.1 11.3 1.1 106.0 17.7
7 AG 0.1 2.1 35.2 63.6 14.7 15.8 200.2 21.0 154.3 13.0 1.7 388.4 55.0
8 MM 0.1 4.4 1.4 2.1 3.0 3.6 298.9 0.8 7.2 3.8 1.0 16.1 10.0
9 PA 4.0 2.8 1.2 43.2 16.1 5.3 178.3 16.5 154.3 9.4 0.9 34.0 52.9
10 GA 3.2 2.5 1.3 33.3 14.3 6.3 204.8 12.0 152.0 3.2 1.0 47.0 35.2
11 G 0.4 2.9 1.1 9.6 13.0 1.0 180.0 6.5 82.2 6.2 1.0 23.0 30.6
12 GG 0.2 4.7 55.8 11.5 13.8 4.8 322.5 15.9 98.0 18.6 0.9 97.6 26.7

in order to estimate the effect of water on them. Two groups of minerals are prone
to reaction in presence of water: evaporite minerals (halids, sulfates, carbonates,
nitrates and borates) and clay minerals [9].
Mineralogical-petrographical analyses were carried out with the purpose of dis-
covering the relationship between water absorption properties and mineralogical
structure. Thin sections of the natural building stone samples were prepared and
were then examined under a polarized microscope to determine the textural fea-
tures of each sample. The petrographic descriptions and microphotographs of the
samples were determined from these thin-sections and are given in Table 5.
3. Results and discussion
Relating the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of
natural building stones of different origins and types with their
water absorption properties is important with regard to learning
about the factors affecting water absorption. The different textural
features and mineralogical compositions cause different properties
of water absorptions to arise for each rock unit. The properties
examined were analyzed in detail and are presented below
because of this.
3.1. Physical properties results and relationships with water
absorption
The results of the testing are graphically presented in Figs. 2–4.
Changes in the water absorption ratio of the examined natural
building stones due to time are given for each specimen separately
in Fig. 2. Cumulative water absorption ratio changes due to time
are given in Fig. 3. Water absorption and drying duration graphs
are provided in Fig. 4.
According to the results, almost every natural building stone
shows the same water absorption trend respectively. Even though
water absorption levels may vary, the behavior against time is
almost the same.
The least water absorbent natural building stone was deter-
mined to be marble (0.07–0.12%). Granite (0.24–0.37%), onyx
260 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

Table 5
Petrographic descriptions and microphotographs of the samples.

Sample name Texture Origin rock Mineral composition Modal mineral composition Microphotographs
type
Denizli travertine Vesicular Sedimantary Distinctive vesicular and flow Calcite (30%), aragonite (65%),
precipitation travertine texture including aragonite, quartz (2%), other minerals (3%)
calcite and quartz minerals are
present

Agri onyx Comb and dog Sedimentary Convex-shaped aragonite and Calcite (35%), aragonite (61%),
tooth onyx calcite minerals are present dolomite (2%), other minerals
limestone inside the distinctive comb (2%)
texture

Adana conglomera Clast- Sedimentary Marble, limestone and schist Quartzite (26%). limestone (31%)
supported petromict fragments are present inside the andesite (10%), biotite (4%),
carbonate conglomerate carbonate matrix quartz (12%), calcite (9%),
matrix amphibole (4%), other minerals
(4%)

Hazar pink Biosparitic Sedimentary Bioclast, calcite and abundant Calcite (91%), aragonite (5%),
sparitic fossils are present dolomite (1%), other minerals
limestone (3%)

Daisy beige Biosparitic Sedimentary Biosparitic limestone. Calcite (89%), aragonite (7%),
sparitic Moderately crystalline calcite dolomite (2%), other minerals
limestone and small amount of opaque (2%)
minerals are present

Sivrihisar beige Sparitic Sedimentary Moderate crystalline calcite and Calcite (87%), aragonite (7%),
sparitic a small amount of recrystalised dolomite (2%), other minerals
limestone thinny calcite veins and opaque (4%)
minerals are present

Afyon gray Blastosparitic Metamorphic The calcites with pressure Calcite (94%), aragonite (3%),
marble twining are present dolomite (1%), other minerals
(2%)
 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 261

Table 5 (continued)

Sample name Texture Origin rock Mineral composition Modal mineral composition Microphotographs
type
Mugla milas Granoblastic Metamorphic Calcite and small amount of Calcite (98%), other minerals (2%)
marble muscovite, quartz, and opaque
minerals are present

Gray andesite Hypocrystaline Volcanic Oligoclase, andesine, amphibole, Plagioclase (68%), biotite (12%),
porphyric andesite biotite, and small amount of amphibole (14%), other minerals
texture epidotite and opaque minerals (6%)
are present

Pink andesite Hyaloplitic Volcanic Oligoclase, andesine, amphibole, Plagioclase (63%), biotite (10%),
porphyric andesite biotite, and small amount of amphibole (10%), pyroxene (9%)
pyroxene and opaque minerals other minerals (8%)
are present

Granite Holocrystaline Plutonic Quartz, orthoclase, oligoclase, Quartz (31%), orthoclase (28%)
hipidiomorphic monzo- biotite, and small amount of plagioclase (20%), biotite (9%),
granite amphibole, titanite zircon and amphibole (6%), other minerals
opaque minerals are present (6%)

Green granite Holocrystaline Plutonic Labradorite, bytownite, Plagioclase (60%), pyroxene (23%),
gabbro pyroxene, and small amount of amphibole (8%), other minerals
epidote, tremolite, actinolite and (9%)
opaque minerals are present

(0.27%), conglomerate (0.33%) and some beiges (0.20–0.44%) also
have low water absorption ratios. While travertines absorbs a little
more (1.42%), the most water absorbent natural building stones
were determined to be andesites (3.24–3.99%).
With the exception of andesites, travertines and some beige, all
of the examined natural building stones are determined as water
absorbent at a rate below 1%.
Due to andesites’ porous structure and different compositions,
different types of andesites were determined to not display similar
water absorption and drying characteristics.
GA seems to absorb water over a longer duration and to take a
similarly long duration to dry. This is important to consider when
planning experiments.
Marbles were determined to not need long durations for water
absorption and drying. In under one day, both water absorption
and drying processes were carried out. Considering this, the first
24 h are very important for marbles with regard to the water
absorption and drying processes.
Lesser water absorbent natural building stones dry in a shorter
duration respectively as expected, while more absorbent specimens
takes more time to dry. The greater porosity of more absorbent
stones must be considered as a factor in shortening the drying
process. This phenomenon is observed clearly with travertine and
andesite specimens. Meanwhile tighter textured and closed-porous
specimens were observed to take a longer time to dry.
Conglomerate and gray andesite specimens are separated in
time from the other specimens which had the same water
absorption and drying trend. Other specimens absorb water fast
in the beginning but the absorption progresses at a slower rate
as time goes on. These same two specimens have a similar
fashion of drying as well considering the other specimens, and
dry within almost the same durations. This situation can be
observed clearly on the slopes of graphs given in Fig. 2(c) and (j).
In this area, the effects of the physical properties of rocks given
in Table 2 on water absorption ratio are also examined. The effects
of density, apparent density, open porosity, total porosity and
262 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

Fig. 2. Variation of water absorption ratio of samples depending on time.

open/total porosity ratio values on water absorption ratio are
examined and presented in Fig. 5.
Considering all natural building stones, some physical proper-
ties were observed to directly affect the magnitude of the water
absorption ratio. When Fig. 5 is examined, apparent density as well
as open and total porosity values seems to have a direct relation-
ship with water absorption ratio. As porosity increases and as
apparent density decreases, the water absorption increases.
While the relationship between apparent density and absorp-
tion ratio (R2 = 0.671) displays high correlation, the relationship
between density and water absorption (R2 = 0.187) shows low
correlation. This is mostly because of the fact that specimens are
ground until there is no space between particles during the density
determination process. It was also observed that when apparent
density becomes lower, the water absorption ratio follows a
reverse trend.
 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 263

Fig. 3. Variation of cumulative water absorption ratio of samples depending on time.

As expected, a high level of correlation between water absorption
and porosity was determined. As porosity increases so does the
water absorption. While for the relationship between water absorp-
tion and open porosity, the R2 value is 0.961, for the relationship
between the total porosity and water absorption that value is
0.950. Besides that, no relationships were found between open
porosities’ ratios in total porosity and water absorption. For the rela-
tionship between open/total porosity ratio and water absorption
ratio, the R2 value is determined to be at the low value of 0.150.
Considering the type of natural building stones separately,
Fig. 5 indicates that there are high correlations between water
absorption of igneous and sedimentary rocks and apparent density
(R2i = 0.80; R2s = 0.772), open porosity (R2i = 0.947; R2s = 0.954) and
total porosity (R2i = 0.996; R2s = 0.845). In addition, no relationships
were found between open porosities’ ratios in total porosity and
water absorption for both rock types. However, moderate relation-
ship was found between water absorption of igneous rocks and
density (R2i = 0.592) and no relationship was found between water
264 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

Table 6
R2 values of the relationships between water absorption and chemical components.

Components All WA < 1% WA > 1% CaO > 37% CaO < 10%
Na2O 0.493 0.119 0.889 0.198 0.318
MgO 0.095 0.103 0.629 0.003 0.033
Al2O3 0.204 0.287 0.766 0.000 0.459
SiO2 0.212 0.205 0.943 0.070 0.101
K2O 0.107 0.355 0.683 0.012 0.065
CaO 0.272 0.097 0.910 0.116 0.001
TiO2 0.018 0.010 0.613 0.105 0.075
MnO 0.001 0.001 0.660 0.082 0.061
Fe2O3 0.086 0.330 0.646 0.006 0.009
Li 0.191 0.058 0.987 0.104 0.384

Fig. 4. Water absorption and drying times of samples used in this study.
The water absorption ratios of natural building stones that are
to be used for external cladding, load-bearing masonry units,
non-load-bearing masonry units, copings, sills, lentils, roofing,
internal flooring, external pavements, internal walls, kitchens,
absorption of sedimentary rocks and density (R2s = 0.070).
dining areas, hospitals, cold storage areas are factors for selecting
Metamorphic rocks having only 2 samples were not evaluated
the stone type to be used. Natural building stones that are used
separately.
especially for exterior applications and interior applications such

Fig. 5. Relationships between physical properties of rocks and water absorption.

 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 265

Fig. 6. Relationships between the chemical components of examined specimens and water absorption ratios.
266 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

as bathrooms and kitchens must absorb low levels of water and dry
fast. Marbles, some limestones and granites are good choices for
usage on wet sections of buildings. Because they are more absor-
bent, travertines can be used for exterior applications because they
can dry fast. Due to their porous structure, bacterias may breed in
travertines and this may present a challenge to the desired hygie-
nic conditions, so the usage of travertines in interior applications is
inconvenient. While pink andesites have similarly fast drying
features, because of their strength values as observed in literature,
instead of covering applications like travertines, gardening
applications would be more convenient for pink andesites.
For the purpose of determining the water absorption ratios of
natural building stones with different properties, it is maintained
that 48 h standard experiment duration may not be the ideal for
every natural building stone type, and it would be better if the
duration in the water were to be extended until the water
absorption ratio for all natural building stones is fixed. This dura-
tion may range from 24 h to 144 h. Similarly, when the specimens
are dried they must be dried until they have a fixed weight, and
constant drying durations must be avoided.
3.2. Chemical analysis results and relationships with water absorption
In this study, the effects of the chemical components of rocks
employed in experiments on their water absorption ratio were also
investigated. Firstly, the relationships between each chemical com-
ponent and water absorption ratios were investigated. Then, due to
the fact that a high degree of correlation was not observed, water
absorption ratios were classified as lower than 1 and higher than
1 for natural building stones. Also, due to high differences in CaO
values, another classification was made as CaO > 37% versus
CaO < 10%. According to these classifications, the relationship

Fig. 7. Relationships between chemical properties and water absorption ratios which are higher than 1.
Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 267

Fig. 8. Relationships between trace elements and water absorption ratio.

268 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270

Table 7 between water absorption ratios and chemical compositions were

Mineral percentage of volcanic originated specimens and water absorption ratios. investigated. The results are given in Table 6. In addition, the
WA Ratio (%) 3.99 3.24 0.37 0.24 graphs displaying the relationship between chemical composition
Volcanics Pink andesite Gray andesite Granite Green granite ratios and water absorption ratios are presented in Fig. 6 and the
Plagioclase 63 68 20 60 graphs showing the relationship between water absorption ratios
Biotite 10 12 9 0
Amphibole 10 14 6 8
of natural building stones which are higher than 1 and their chem-
Pyroxene 9 0 0 23 ical properties are given in Fig. 7.
Quartz 0 0 31 0 When Fig. 6 is examined, it is observed that the chemical
Orthoclase 0 0 28 0 components of all natural building stones of different origins and
Other minerals 8 6 6 9
types do not have direct effects on water absorption. The strongest
Total 100 100 100 100 relationship was observed with Na2O (R2 = 0.453), and the rest
were found to be much lower, varying between 0.038 and 0.372.
However, considering the type of natural building stones sepa-
rately, similarly, relationships were found to be low. R2 values were
found between 0.025 (CaO) and 0.521 (LOI) for igneous rocks and
0.014 (Al2O3) and 0.542 (TiO2) for sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic
rocks having only 2 samples were not evaluated separately.
When Fig. 7 is examined, it is apparent that for specimens with
water absorption ratios higher than 1, there was a strong relation-
ship between chemical components and water absorption ratios.
As result of examinations done on specimens with water absorp-
tion ratios higher than 1, the strongest relationships were found
for loss on ignition, SiO2, CaO and Na2O with coefficients of
0.987, 0.943, 0.910, 0.889 respectively.
According to Table 6, for specimens with water absorption
ratios lower than 1, the strongest relationship was observed for
(R2 = 0.355) K2O, while the coefficient for the rest vary between
0.001 and 0.330. As a result, for specimens with water absorption
ratios lower than 1, no relationships were found to exist
between chemical analysis values and water absorption values.
As a result of the classification made due to the high level of dif-
ference in CaO values (CaO > 37% and CaO < 10%), it was observed
(as it can be seen in Table 6) that only weak relationships exist
between chemical components and water absorption ratios.
In this study, beside the main chemical components, the rela-
tionship between the trace elements and water absorption were
also investigated. Examinations of the relationships between large
amounts of trace elements with respective water absorption ratios
as well as the related graphs are provided in Fig. 8.
When Fig. 8 is examined, considering all specimens, trace
elements seem to have no effect on water absorption ratio. But
investigating trace elements taking in account their rock origins
seems to bear interesting results. The rocks were classified into
two groups as igneous and carbonate rocks. Sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks were evaluated together as carbonate rocks.
In specimens with volcanic origins, the most interesting trace
elements were found to be Zn and Zr which had the high correla-
tion coefficients 0.986 and 0.942 respectively. Ga (0.743) and Ce
(0.742) had respectively high coefficients as well. For Cu and Ni,
the coefficients were found as 0.349 and 0.432, respectively. The
rest of the trace elements had much lower correlational
coefficients.
As can be seen also from Fig. 8 that there are some very low
Fig. 9. Relationships between plagioclase, amphibole and biotite mineral percent-
correlations between water absorption of carbonates rocks and
ages and water absorption ratio. Ni (R2 = 0.344), Ga (R2 = 0.309) and As (R2 = 0.298). In addition, no

Table 8
Mineral percentage of sedimentary and metamorphical originated specimens and water absorption ratios.

WA ratio% 1.00 0.44 0.20 0.27 0.12 0.07 1.42

Sedimentaries metamorphics Hazar pink Daisy Sivrihisar beige Ağrı onyx Muğla milas Afyon gri Travertine
Calcite 91 89 94 35 98 87 30
Aragonite 5 7 3 61 0 7 65
Dolomite 1 2 1 2 0 2 0
Quartz 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Other minerals 3 2 2 2 2 4 3
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270 269

relationships were found with other trace elements. According to

these results, it can be said that trace elements have not significant
effect on water absorption of carbonates rocks.
Karaca [3], studying the effects of the chemical composition of
natural building stones on water absorption, states that there are
two important factors affecting water absorption and drying dura-
tions: MgO content and porosity. With increases in MgO content
and porosity, water absorption and drying durations become
longer. It is also stated that this effect occurs in different magni-
tudes with different natural building stones and MgO content is
more effective than porosity. The reason behind this is stated to
be the fact that Mg ions are smaller than Na and Ca ions. Mg ions
have stronger reactions with water molecules due to their stronger
charge loads. A relationship between water absorption (g) and
MgO content (%) has also been observed. But in that study, it is also
stated that MgO levels have no effect on water absorption. Also
when the relationship between MgO content in all specimens
and water absorption ratios is investigated, it is observed that
MgO has a much lesser effect on that case considering the other
chemical contents. When Table 5 is examined, considering all spec-
imens, MgO has a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.095, and that also
indicates this is the case. Although the highest effect (R2 = 0.629)
MgO has on water absorption is when specimens with water
absorption values higher than 1 are considered, it is still lesser than
the coefficients of the other components. Thus, it is difficult to state
with confidence that MgO content is an important factor affecting
water absorption.
To determine the exact magnitude of the relationship between Fig. 10. Relationships between calcite and aragonite mineral percentages and
chemical analyses and water absorption, analyses and tests need to water absorption ratio.
be performed on numerous specimens of different types. This study
only indicates some important clues as regards this phenomenon.
showing the relationship between these minerals and water
3.3. Mineralogical and petrographical analyses results and absorption rations are given in Fig. 10.
relationships with water absorption When Fig. 10 is examined, no meaningful relationship can be
found between calcite and aragonite mineral percentages and
For the purpose of determining the effect of mineralogical water absorption ratio.
structure on the water absorption and drying characteristics of It is understood that there have been no studies focusing on the
natural building stones, rocks are classified as: (1) volcanically relationship between the mineral structures of natural building
originated and (2) sedimentary and metamorphically originated, stones and water absorption ratios after the literature research.
and Tables 6 and 7 display the water absorption ratios and miner- Although the mineral structure types of natural building stones
alogical compositions of each category separately. While andesites cannot be taken into account when considering the usage areas
and granites are categorized as volcanic specimens, limestones, of current water absorption ratio informations, they are still to
travertines, onyx and marbles are categorized as sedimentary be studied in order to understand the water absorption character-
and metamorphical specimens. With this method, it is possible istics completely. In addition, a natural material consisting of
to evaluate the different types of rocks separately. Adana Conglom- minerals with relationship of a very low or a very high degree to
erate specimen was not included in evaluation due to its dissimilar water absorption will be always important in the composite
structure. material production stage.
As seen in Table 7, plagioclase, biotite and amphibole minerals
were taken into account in order to evaluate the relationship 4. Discussion and conclusion
between minerals’ percentages composing volcanic originated
rocks and water absorption ratios. Graphs indicating the relation- Results obtained from the studies done for determining the
ship between these minerals and water absorption ratios are given water absorption characteristics of natural building stones with dif-
in Fig. 9. ferent composition, structure and texture properties, determining
When Fig. 9 is examined, plagioclase and amphibole mineral the parameters affecting the water absorption ratio and obtaining
contents seem to have no effects on water absorption ratio, consid- the drying features of natural building stones are presented below:
ering their R2 values respectively, 0.320 and 0.308. Though biotite
percent seems to have a high relationship with water absorption  Natural building stones that absorb less water dry as fast as
(R2 = 0.999). Thus, when biotite mineral percentage increases, an expected and the ones that absorb more water take more
increase in water absorption is also observed. The decrease time to dry. It should be considered that the porosity of
observed in water absorption after 12% biotite content is another more water absorbing stones is also an accelerating factor
case to investigate. for the drying process.
As can be seen in Table 8, for the purpose of determining the  The first 24 h are very important for water absorption and
relationship between the minerals’ percentages composing drying.
sedimentary and metamorphical originated rocks and water  The least water absorbing natural building stone is deter-
absorption ratios, only calcite and aragonite minerals which are mined to be marble (0.07–0.12%), granite (0.24–0.37%),
common in all rock specimens can be taken into account. Graphs onyx (0.27%), conglomerate (0.33%) and some beiges
270 Y. Ozcelik, A. Ozguven / Construction and Building Materials 63 (2014) 257–270
(0.20–0.44%) also have low ratios for water absorption.
While travertines absorb more than these stones (1.42%),
the most water absorbing stones are determined to be
andesites (3.24–3.99%).
 Considering all natural building stones, apparent density as
well as open and total porosity properties is highly related
with water absorption ratio. As porosity increases and as
apparent density decreases, the water absorption increases.
 The chemical components of all natural building stones of
different origins and types do not have direct effects on
water absorption. But, high relationships are only found
between loss on ignition (LOI), SiO2, CaO and Na2O percent-
ages and water absorption ratios for specimens with a
water absorption ratio higher than 1.
 Although a relationship cannot be found between trace
elements in examined all specimens and water absorption
ratios, Zn and Zr percentages for volcanic originated rocks
seem to have high relationships with water absorption
ratios. An increase in those elements is observed to cause
also an increase in water absorption ratio. However there
are no significant relationships between water absorption
of carbonates rocks and trace elements.
 Although Karaca [3] states that MgO content directly the
water absorption ratio to a greater degree than rock poros-
ity, according the study done, this is not the case and MgO
content has no significant effects on water absorption ratio.
 When the effects of natural building stones’ mineralogical
structures on water absorption ratio were investigated,
Biotite in volcanic originated rocks is observed to have a
high relationship to water absorption ratio (R2 = 0.999).
There are no other meaningful relationships between
examined minerals and water absorption ratio other than
the case of Biotite.
Acknowledgements
This study is supported the by Scientific Research and Develop-
ment Office of Hacettepe University (Project No.: 012D11602003).
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Therefore, we would like to give thanks to the Scientific Research
and Development Office for its contributions and also to Prof. Dr.
Yusuf Kagan Kadioglu from the Ankara University Department of
Geology for his help concerning mineralogical and petrographical
descriptions of the natural building stones.
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