Investigation of the effect of freeze-thaw on the breaking load at dowel hole in carbonated natural stone

The present study evaluated the physical strength of carbonated natural stones used in building facade cladding under the frost effect for cold regions. The tests were carried out by combining the TS EN 12371 (Determination of Frost Resistance) and TS EN 13364 (Determination of Breaking Load at Dowel Hole) standards. Specimens of three different natural stones prepared according to the breaking load at dowel hole test were subjected to freeze-thaw between 5 and 40 cycles in eight categories. The breaking loads were measured both before and after the freeze-thaw cycles, and the loss of breaking load for each cycle was calculated. In the analysis of the experimental results, the graphical relationships between the loss of breaking load and the freeze-thaw cycles were studied in the first step. In the subsequent steps of the analyses, regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the relationship between the loss of breaking load and the experimental parameters for each natural stone. Forecasts of the loss of breaking load were also made. Assessments were presented on the usability of natural stones as facade cladding materials, the loss of breaking load through freeze-thaw processes and their lifetime. In this respect, the research results contribute to the literature as a significant preliminary study for the use of natural stone cladding materials in cold regions.