Issue 50

A. Marinelli et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 50 (2019) 438-450; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.50.37 438 Focused on the research activities of the Greek Society of Experimental Mechanics of Materials Comparative experimental study of the mechanical and fracture properties of Portland limestone and Corsehill sandstone Aikaterini Marinelli, Matthew R. Stewart School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, EH10 5DT Edinburgh, Scotland A.Marinelli@napier.ac.uk , http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3769-2509 A BSTRACT . An experimental investigation of the mechanical and fracture characteristics of Portland limestone and Corsehill sandstone is undertaken, aiming at enhancing understanding of the structural behaviour of these natural building stones commonly used in both new and restoration projects in Edinburgh, Scotland. A series of three-point bending and four-point bending tests on appropriately cut prismatic samples, in the presence of U-shape notches, were performed and results were interpreted following the concepts of crack mouth opening displacement and fracture energy. The critical crack opening displacement could be further investigated as a fracture criterion, in- dependently of the method used for its determination. At a second stage, the effect of specimen shape and size on flexural strength, deflection at mid-span, crack mouth opening displacement and fracture energy was studied for Port- land limestone. Despite the scattering of results, trends observed comprise (a) the negative correlation between the flexural strength of Portland limestone and the specimen span length and (b) the positive correlation between fracture energy and specimen size. Conclusions drawn are in good agreement with similar ones for other quasi-brittle materials and contribute to the assessment of the fracture behaviour of full size structural members that are often beyond the range of possible failure testing. K EYWORDS . Corsehill sandstone; Portland limestone; Mechanical properties; Size effect; Shape effect; Fracture energy. Citation: A. Marinelli., M. R. Stewart, Com- parative experimental study of the mechanical and fracture properties of Portland limestone and Corsehill sandstone, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 50 (2019) 438-450. Received: 16.01.2019 Accepted: 15.05.2019 Published: 01.10.2019 Copyright: © 2019 This is an open access article under the terms of the CC-BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. I NTRODUCTION istorical buildings and monuments reflect not only the significance of cultural heritage but also indicate the diversity of civilizations, showing the history of the past while revealing local identities. The built heritage has formed the foundation of many successful regeneration projects in many cities across the United Kingdom (UK). Local historic buildings add to the unique character of a region, help to promote a sense of community and have a significant part in creating a sense of place and differentiation. These places of cultural significance must be conserved for present and future generations in accordance with the principle of inter-generational equity [1]. H