A natural-stone city walk through Maastricht, the Netherlands

Having been inspired by the leaflet 'Natuursteen in Maastricht. Aardrijkskunde in een oude stad', written by P.J. Felder and published in 1977, we here present descriptions of the main types of natural stones applied in the city of Maastricht. A concise overview of the provenance area, mineralogy and physical properties of a selection of so...

Evaluation of three Italian tuffs (Neapolitan Yellow Tuf, Tufo Romano and Tufo Etrusco) as compatible replacement stone for Römer tuff in Dutch built cultural heritage

Rhenish tuffs from the volcanic Eifel region in Germany, in particular the so-called Römer tuff, are among the most prominent and voluminous natural stones in Dutch monuments. The Römer tuff has been used since Roman times, and was widely used again in Romanesque (and to a lesser extent Romano-Gothic and early Gothic) architecture. The limited ...

Building stones from a muddy delta: Native natural stone from The Netherlands

Most of the Netherlands a Quaternary delta, local supplies of natural stone suitable for building are rare. These include: Quaternary bog iron ores used in early medieval times (until c. 1200); erratics, deposited in boulder clay during the Saalian ice age in the northern Netherlands and gravel from the river Meuse; Miocene lithified siliceous...

Building stones from a muddy delta: Native natural stone from The Netherlands

Lithofacies and petrophysical properties of Portland Base Bed and Portland Whit Bed limestone as related to durability

This study focuses on the differences in lithofacies and petrophysical properties of Base Bed and Whit Bed Portland limestone and the presumed relationships between these characteristics and the durability of this building stone. As Portland limestone probably will be used as a stone for several restoration projects in the Netherlands in the...

Effect of stylolites on the durability of building stones: Two case studies

The mechanical properties and the durability of natural building stones are influenced to a large extent by inherent inhomogeneities. One of such inhomogeneities is a stylolite, particularly when it occuts in carbonate-rich rocks. Stylolites are irregular surfaces in which small tooth-like projections on one side of the surface fit into cavities...