Effect of swelling inhibitors on the swelling and stress relaxation of clay bearing stones

Clay-containing stones such as Portland Brownstone (USA), Villarlod Molasse (Switzerland) and Tarifa Sandstone (Spain), are expected to weather as a result of wetting and drying cycles. During drying events, contraction of the drying surface leads to stresses approaching the tensile strength of the stone. However, we have found that the magnitude of these stresses is reduced by the ability of the stone to undergo stress relaxation. In this paper we describe novel methods to determine the magnitude of the stresses and the rate at which they develop and relax. We also discuss the influence of swelling inhibitors on the magnitude of swelling and the rate of the stress relaxation of these stones. The implications of our findings for the understanding of damage due to swelling of clays are discussed.