Modelling the physical and chemical changes in roofing slate caused by weathering processes

Abstract

This research identifies the changes which takes place in roofing slate due to natural exposure and tries to replicate these changes experimentally. Traditional methods of testing, used by the British and other national standards, concentrate on the properties of unweathered samples and give no information on the relative durability of the different slates. Instead of concentrating on the initial properties, this research focuses on changes in the properties in order to assess durability. The effects of natural weathering were assessed by comparing old, used slates with new slates from the same or a similar source. The new slates were then weathered experimentally by repeated cycles of wetting and drying, and the increase in water absorbency compared with that observed in naturally weathering. Mineralogical differences due to both natural and experimental weathering were also measured using X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the effects of experimental weathering, using repeated cycles of wetting and drying, are similar to those observed in natural weathering. These include increased water absorbency and loss of crystallinity of the principal minerals. The greatest changes are found in those slates which are the most vulnerable to weathering, making it possible to identify poor quality slates.