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Microfacies, physical and mechanical properties of carbonate rocks from the Apuseni Mountains, Romania: implication for delineating potential ornamental limestone extraction areas

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Abstract

Ornamental rock quarrying and production represent an important segment of the raw material industry. This study aims to integrate key scientific concepts such as facies data, mineralogical analysis and physical–mechanical properties to delineate potential ornamental limestone extraction areas from the Apuseni Mountains, Romania. For this purpose, three distinct areas were evaluated, represented by the Moneasa, Subpiatră and Săndulești areas. The first two locations belong to the Northern Apuseni Mountains while the third location is situated in the Southern Apuseni Mountains. Eleven microfacies types were identified, consisting mainly of brecciated or nodular limestones, bioclastic packstones, boundstones, rudstones or silicified packstone. Microfacies types 4–8 and 9 are the most homogeneous in terms of colour and texture. Limestones with low porosity record higher uniaxial compressive strength values. This parameter is also influenced by porosity, micrite, sparite and grain proportion. The XRD analyses separate the samples in three major groups, based on their mineralogy. These include pure, detrital and silicified limestones. According to their strength, the studied limestones range from weak to tough and very tough rocks. Industrial-scale ornamental limestone quarrying was performed in the past only in the Moneasa Zone. These limestones were used especially for interior cladding and pavements. This study confirms their usage for such purposes. The Subpiatră Limestone is quarried extensively for cement production. However, this study shows that carbonate rocks from Subpiatră could be used for ornamental limestone production. Finally, the Săndulești Zone is analysed, in terms of ornamental stone potential. The physical and mechanical properties of these rocks suggests that these carbonate deposits are not suitable for ornamental rock quarrying.

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Fig. 1

(modified from Bleahu et al. 1981; Săndulescu 1984; Balintoni and Puște 2002; Balintoni et al. 2009)

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(modified from Bleahu et al. 1967 and Giușcă et al. 1968)

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(modified from Rusu et al. 2018)

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work received financial support through the project Entrepreneurship for Innovation Through Doctoral and Postdoctoral Research (POCU/360/6/13/123886) co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Program for Human Capital 2014–2020. It is also a contribution to a Postdoctoral Research Programme (Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca) titled “Practical applications for the usage of various Mesozoic limestones from the Romanian Carpathians for ornamental and decorative purposes”. The first author (CVM) acknowledges partial funding from a grant of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-0456 within PNCDI III. The authors thank Victor Mircescu and Alin Oprișa for their fieldwork assistance and the LaFarge Holcim company for granting access in the Subpiatră Quarry. The anonymous reviewers are thanked for their valuable comments that helped improve a previous version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work received financial support through the project Entrepreneurship for Innovation Through Doctoral and Postdoctoral Research (POCU/360/6/13/123886) co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Program for Human Capital 2014–2020. The first author (CVM) acknowledges partial funding from a grant of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-0456 within PNCDI III.

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  1. Department of Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Mihail Kogălniceanu 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Cristian Victor Mircescu, Nicolae Har & Tudor Tămaș

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  1. Cristian Victor Mircescu
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Mircescu, C.V., Har, N. & Tămaș, T. Microfacies, physical and mechanical properties of carbonate rocks from the Apuseni Mountains, Romania: implication for delineating potential ornamental limestone extraction areas. Carbonates Evaporites 37, 27 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-022-00770-9

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