Petrography | Durability | Test Results
Technical Data Sheet
Swaledale Fossil Limestone
Barton near Scotch Corner
Compiled September 1997
This data sheet was compiled by the Building Research Establishment
(BRE). Where possible, data collected in earlier surveys has been used
to help interpret the test results. The data sheet was compiled in September
1997 using the results of tests carried out to the proposed European Standards.
The work was carried out by BRE as part of a Partners in Technology Programme
funded by the Department of the Environment and Cumbria Stone Quarries
Ltd and does not represent an endorsement of the stone by BRE.
General
The quarry is just to the east of Scotch Corner in North
Yorkshire off the minor road leading to Middleton Tyas. There are several
quarries nearby which were worked for road making and lime burning.
Petrography
Swaledale Fossil LImestone is a light coloured Crinoidal
Limestone of early Carboniferous age. The stone can range in colour from
blue to beige and contains many large fossils. It is dense and easily takes
a polish which enhances the fossils. There are seven beds of stone under
approximately 1.2m of overburden, they range in depth from 200mm to 1.2m,
but the beds are not well defined and are unpredictable. The largest bed
can provide stone from between 380mm and 600mm on bed.
Expected Durability
and Performance
It is important that the results from the from individual
tests are not viewed in isolation. They should be considered together and
compared to the performance of the stone in existing buildings and other
uses. Dense Carboniferous limestones are traditionally acknowledged as
generally being a very durable building and paving stone and have been
used extensively in many towns and cities in the UK. Swaledale Fossil Limestone
appears to be a durable stone that will have good resistance to acid rain
or air pollution. In addition, the low weight lost in the sodium sulphate
crystallisation test indicates good resistance to salt damage (for example
in coastal locations or from de-icing salts); the stone should also have
good frost resistance. The compressive strength of the stone is high for
a limestone and is comparable with many sandstones. The high density and
compressive strength indicate that the stone should be suitable for use
in heavily trafficked areas.
Overall, should be suitable for use in most aspects of
construction including flooring, paving, load bearing masonry and cladding
including areas where a long service life is needed.
Test Results-
Swaledale Fossil Limestone
Safety
in Use |
Slip Resistance (Note 1) |
Not Determined
|
Values > 40 are considered safe |
Abrasion Resistance(Note 1) |
Not Determined
|
Values <23.0 are considered suitable for
use in heavily trafficked areas |
Strength
under load |
1) Compression(Note 2) |
c.95 MPa
|
Conditions of testing not known |
2) Bending (Note 1) |
Not Determined
|
Loaded perpendicular to the bedding - ambient
humidity |
Porosity
and Water Absorption |
1) Porosity (Note 3) |
1.2 - 2.6%
|
|
2) Saturation Coefficient (Note 3) |
0.77 - 0.80
|
|
3) Water Absorption |
0.4% (by wt)
|
|
4) Bulk specific gravity |
2650 kg/m3
|
|
Resistance to Frost |
Freeze/Thaw Test (Note 1) |
Not Determined
|
|
Resistance
to Salt |
Sodium Sulphate Crystallisation Test (Note
14 |
Mean: 0%
|
|