rock & soil Flashcards
(24 cards)
Igneous
Consolidated areas of rock that have forced their way up through splits in the crust of the earth, these are the hardest types of rock.
granites, syenites and dolerites.
Sedimentary
Petrified and disintegrated stone which has combined with organic materials.
Sandstone, slate and limestone.
Metamorphic
Formed by exertion of pressure and the action of high temperatures on igneous or sedimentary rock types, which transforms their structure.
Crystalline slate, quartzite.
Case - Uluru
- Arkose or arkosic sandstone (sedimentary)
- Remains of alluvial fans formed as seabed
- Alice Springs Orogeny - folding + compression of formations, tilting 90 deg
- Iron component in arkose oxidises, fresh arkose colour is grey
- 1348m high, could extend underground >6km
- Minimal human intervention, but immense cultural importance and ritualised habitation (Aṉangu peoples)
Case - Stonehenge
- 3100 BC - 1600 BC
- Wiltshire, England
- Vertical standing stones (2 x 4 m)
- Connecting horizontal lintel stone
- Summer/winter solstice
- Set within earthwork
Case - Kandovan, Iran
Residential karaan
- Still inhabited - troglodytic dwellings hand excavated into volcanic formations
- Igneous - formed by pyroclastic flows, erosion of pumice + other volcanic particles created cone-like formations of ignimbrite (hardened tuff)
- Shelter and privacy - cultural (conflict) and natural (temperature, weather)
good geological understanding in an architectural/structural context informs:
- Sense of Place (Genius Loci)
- Cultural meaning and significance
- Aesthetics
- Structural integrity, strength, weight
- Transport costs and carbon footprint
- Sourcing and local availability
- Ease of manipulation/use
- Project costs
stone - general structural properties
high compressive strength
low tensile strength
Case - Athens, parthenon
- Stacked stone drums
- Marble
Case - German Pavillion, Barcelona, Spain
- Morrocan onyx dore
- Miles van der Rohe
- 1929
Case - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Natural - sandstone monoliths
- Colorado USA, 1941
Case - Belvedere Castle, NYC
- Vista rock made of Manhattan Schist
Rock obtained from excavating road systems used to build minature castle
Case - Barangaroo Reserve, SYD
- Excavated sandstone
Case - Teardrop Park NYC
- Bluestone (dense sandstone) Ice Wall
- 2004 - 1.8 acres
- Inspired by Northern NY - Catskills area
- Earthworks + natural form inspires the human use of natural materials
basic soil composition
- mineral particles
- organic matter
- air
- water
- living organisms
Earth horizons
(O, A, E, B, C & R)
SOIL - OAEB
REGOLITH - OAEBC
BEDROCK - R
O horizon
* Loose + partly decayed organic matter
A horizon
* Mineral matter mixed with humus
E horizon
* Zone of eluviation + leaching
B horizon
* Accumulation and clay, iron + aluminum from above
C horizon
* Partially alternal parent material
R horizon
* Unweathered parent material
“ideal” composition of soil
vs.
typical urban soils
50% solid -
* mineral particles
* organic matter 2-5%
and 50% void space
25/25% air/water
vs.
70-80% solid -
* mineral particles
* organic matter <1%
and 20-30% void space
Case - Earthen Mounds, Minneapolis Court House Plaza
- Martha Swartz
- Rep. glacial drumlins - cultural + natural history
Rammed Earth Wall, WA
- Luigi Rosselli
- Longest rammed earth wall in Australia, 230m
- Naturally cooled earth formations - 12 covered short-term residences (cattle station)
- Sandy clay, gravel (adjacent river) + water from a local bore hole
Garraf Waste Landfill, Spain
- 2010
Ceramic - definition
Any material made by shaping + firing an inorganic, non-metallic material (like clay) at a high temperature
Hard + brittle
Standard brick composition
Silica (sand) 50%
Clay (alumina) 40%
Lime 5%
Iron oxide 5%
Magnesium <1%
Standard clay brick manufacture
Clay, shale
Added sand + water
WIre-cut or moulds to form shape
Drying oven 24-48 hrs
Kiln (moderate heat, 200-980C)
Kiln (high, 870-1300C)
Cooling chamber 48-72 hrs
Soil functions
Climate regulation
Nutrient cycling
Habitat for organisms
Carbon sequestration
Water purification and soil containment reduction
Flood regulation
Source of pharmaceuticals + genetic resources
Foundation for human infrastructure
Provision of construction materials
Cultural heritage
Provision of food, fibre + fuel
