Characterization of natural stone material used in the Nordic eastern urban and costal environment

The report analyses the main properties pertaining to the durability of Finnish granitoid rocks, based upon extensive field and laboratory data collected during the past ten years. Commercial materials have been tested and compared along ten years of production and their frost resistance assessed according to European standards. Laboratory tests have been coupled with non-destructive methods most used on site assessment as ultra-pulse velocity and Schmidt hammer in order to compare the results of commercial materials with materials on construction site. Evaluation of durability has included petrographic analysis, crack density, and for site exposed material, chemical analysis, to understand the environmental effects on it. The material has generally maintained its original properties. It has natural heterogeneity, and it presents higher interlocked cracking network on the surface of the exposed materials. Site samples in some cases have shown chemical changes due to environmental actions.