Marbles from Castagneto Carducci Area (Tuscany, Italy)

Abstract

Abstract In this work, marbles from Castagneto Carducci (Livorno province, Tuscany), which originated by contact metamorphism of the Calcare Massiccio Fm., an Early Jurassic limestone belonging to the Tuscan Sequence, were studied for determining their chemical, mineralogical and petrographic characteristics, and the main physical and mechanical properties. Forty marble samples were sampled and analysed; they are from two inactive quarries on the NW and NE slopes of the Mt. Romitorino, and from natural outcrops in the vicinity of the quarries. The analysed rocks are marbles with high calcite content (> 98% by weight). Optical microscopy observations showed Castagneto Carducci marbles generally have a heteroblastic/granoblastic texture with crystal boundaries from curved-right to lobate. The maximum grain size of the calcite crystals ranges from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. The determination of the main physical and mechanical properties of the analysed marbles showed that these rocks are characterised by low porosity and, in general, good physical and mechanical properties.