Evaluation of the petrophysical properties of sedimentary building stones in order to establish quality criteria

► Stones are divided in low, intermediate and high quality. ► Limestones with high porosity and low coherence show low quality. ► Sandstones with similar porosity but different composition show intermediate quality. ► Stones with low porosity show the highest quality. ► Differences in composition and pore distribution influence the quality. Porous sedimentary stones are frequently used in the construction of many different kinds of buildings. In order to assess the quality of each stone as a building material, it is important to analyse its particular petrographic characteristics and physical properties, as these affect its behaviour when exposed to agents of decay. We selected six stone types with different petrophysical characteristics that are commonly used as construction materials in Spain. Two limestones with high porosity and notable textural differences performed worst. The bioclastic limestone from Santa Pudia showed poor mechanical behaviour, while the micritic limestone from Huesca had the worst response to water flow. Two sandstones performed better. They had medium porosity, a similar texture and certain differences in composition. The calcareous sandstone from Uncastillo performed worse in terms of hydric and mechanical behaviour and consequently is less durable than the siliciclastic sandstone from Villaviciosa. The highest quality stones, in terms of their hydric behaviour and mechanical properties are the crystalline dolostone from Boñar and the travertine from Albox, both of which have relatively low porosity.