Travertine

Breccia

Travertine and Breccia

Travertine

Breccia

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Definition

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material

History

Origin

Italy

England

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Brecciated, Clastic

Color

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia

Features

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.

Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-47

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.682.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³0 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Travertine and Breccia Properties

Know all about Travertine and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine and Breccia belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Travertine appears Fibrous and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Travertine and Breccia is dull to pearly. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Travertine and Breccia are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.