Rocas ornamentales porosas del Mioceno marino de Levante (Alicante-Murcia-Albacete)

Abstract

Petrological and technological data from some common dimension stones from Marine Miocene deposits of Southeastern Spain are described. Two main types of materials are distinguished: a) allochemical calcareous rocks - biocalcarenites with foraminifer whole tests, as main fossiliferous component: biocalcarenites of the Medio Vinalopó, and b) lumaquelles: biocalcirrudites with bioclasts of briozoans, bivalves, corals, red algae... of the Prebetic of Albacete-Murcia. Both types of dimension stones have very similar technological properties, the average values as compressive strenght and the modulus of rupture of calcarenites are higher than this of lumaquelles and the weight loss after 25 freezing-thawing cycles of calcarenites (durability) are too moderately higher than this of lumaquelles.