Experimental Study on Erosion Modeling of Architectural Red Sandstone under the Action of the Natural Environment

When buildings are exposed to erosion from the natural environment, erosion behaviors such as surface damage and structural instability occur, which greatly affect the aesthetic value and service life of the buildings. The study of erosion behaviors and the establishment of a suitable erosion model are constructive references for the protection and restoration of buildings. In order to establish a suitable erosion model for architectural red sandstone, two types of red sandstone specimens were selected in this paper to carry out dry and wet cycle tests. Combining the theoretical analysis and the actual erosion situation, a unidirectional corrosion model is proposed to describe the erosion of buildings by the natural environment. In this model, it is assumed that only the outer surface of the building is in contact with external erosion factors for a long period of time, so this situation can be considered a unidirectional erosion process. The paper uses XRD, SEM, and ultrasonic methods to record changes in the properties of the red sandstone samples. Finally, the rationality of the unidirectional erosion model was verified numerically. The test results show that the red sandstone specimens subjected to erosion by the natural environment will be accompanied by the development of defects, such as cracks, fissures, and holes, as well as the generation of fresh material. The demarcation point of different erosion stages exists in both the in-service red sandstone specimens and the fresh red sandstone specimens, which is consistent with the results of the unidirectional erosion model. In this paper, a calculation model for the demarcation point of different erosion stages is established, and the model estimation shows that the demarcation point of different erosion stages of the in-service red sandstone sample is 1.1528 cm from the erosion surface, and the demarcation point of different erosion stages of the fresh red sandstone sample is 1.67 cm.

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