The effect of freeze–thaw cycles on physical and mechanical properties of Upper Red Formation sandstones, central part of Iran

Abstract

This paper presents the influence of freeze–thaw cycles on physical and mechanical properties of Upper Red Formation sandstones in the southwestern Qom province in central Iran. For this purpose, five different types of sandstones were selected. Freeze–thaw test was carried out for 30 cycles and P wave velocity, porosity and uniaxial compressive strength of specimens were determined after every 5 cycles. Also, long-term durability of sandstones against freeze–thaw cycles using a decay function model was evaluated. The results of this study show that an increase in number of freeze–thaw cycles decreases uniaxial compressive strength and P wave velocity, whereas the effective porosity increases. The results obviously indicate that rock strength and petrographic properties such as grain size and contacts between grains alone does not provide enough information regarding sample durability against freeze–thaw cycles. Finally, it was found that pore size distribution plays the main role on the resistance of sandstones in freeze–thaw cycles.