Effects of thermal changes on Macael marble: Experimental study

The continuous action of frequent thermal changes in conditions of extremes temperature is the main cause of the alteration of marble in monumental and artistic buildings. This is the case of the deterioration observed in the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra (Granada, Spain), the white marble of which columns are from Macael (Almería, Spain). In order to understand the effects of thermal stress on this type of material, samples of marble from the Macael quarry have been subjected to cycles of heating and cooling and determined their influence on the physical–mechanical characteristics of the material (ultrasonic transmission velocity, hydric behaviour, mechanical resistance and granular cohesion).