New weathering indices for evaluating durability and weathering characterization of crystalline rock material: A case study from NE Turkey

• The engineering behavior of rock materials depends on changes due to weathering.
• Leaching and forming weathering products are the essential processes in chemical weathering.
• New weathering indices based on the k-value value for evaluating weathering characterization.
• New index to estimate durability and the mechanical behaviors of crystalline rock materials.
• These indices were applied to samples from Kurtun Granodiorite in NE Turkey.

There are several methods to characterize petrochemical properties of crystalline rocks. One method is based on the ionic model. In the model, large oxygen atoms of the rock-forming minerals are close-packed framework structures. The distribution of cations, which is defined by the “Cation-Packing Index” or the k-value for each (stoichiometric) mineral phase, can be correlated with the petrophysical properties. These properties, representing the engineering behavior of the rock materials show a dependence on the physical and chemical changes due to weathering. The fundamental systems of the chemical weathering of rocks are the leaching of the alkaline and alkali-earth elements and the redistribution of the residual elements into secondary minerals. In this study, these conditions are considered as the basis for new petro-chemical weathering indices based on the cation-packing value for evaluating weathering characterization of crystalline rocks. These indices are the k-product index, the k-leaching index and the k-weathering index. The k-product index represents the quantity of the weathering product suggested in this study, whereas the k-leaching index represents the amount of chemical leaching during the weathering. The k-weathering index was defined as the sum of the k-leaching index and the k-product index. In addition to these new engineering indices, a k-durability index based on a slake durability index and the k-value of the rock materials was suggested in this study to estimate the durability and the mechanical properties of rock materials. These indices were applied to granitic rock samples weathered to various degrees, from the Kurtun Granodiorite in northeastern Turkey. The results of the regression analysis performed in this study show that the k-weathering index can be used as a weathering indicator and that the k-durability index can be used to evaluate the durability and the mechanical behaviors of the investigated samples. It would be useful to conduct further research to confirm the results of the present study.