GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SIWAQA TRAVERTINE, SOUTH AMMAN, JORDAN

Siwaqa travertine crops out, about 70 km away from Amman, just south of Siwaqa strike-slip fault. Calcite is the most dominant constituent. Travertine occurs in two main forms: laminated and vesicular (vuggy). Representative surface samples of travertine have been analyzed for the determination of their physical-mechanical properties. It was found that the pore structure, which was previously determined by the author by employing velocity of sound, porosity and degree of saturation, is the most important factor affecting the strength and other physical properties of the stone.