Weathering of building stones and its relationship to the sustainable management of the aggregate resources in Gaza Strip, Palestine

Abstract

In the last decade, the Gaza Strip witnessed a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of building construction associated with the political development in the aftermath of Oslo Agreement. Towers (buildings composed of more than five floors) were, for the first time being built in the region in its modern history. Environmental conditions have deteriorating weathering impacts on the buildings of about 40 years old. This article aims at investigating such impacts and their features as well as the different types of weathering on the buildings. Chemical, mechanical and biological parameters of weathering were reported to work together in the old buildings. Differential weathering was also reported in some buildings either within the stone itself or the cementing material between the stone blocks. The geographic location along the coast is believed to speed up the weathering process as aerosols and rainwater contain high …