Dimension stones used in Central Anatolia: Some of their geological and mechanical properties

It is aimed to study physical and chemical features of the samples from dacite-andesite quarries and travertine quarries of Konya and its surroundings. The dacites and andesites are the main products of the Neogene volcanism observed in Konya while the travertines are well exposed as chemical-sedimentary rocks where the young sediments were exposed at the outskirts of Konya plain. These rocks (dacite, andesite and travertines) have been extensively used as dimension stones in and around the city of Konya, Turkey. In terms of dry weight loss (dwl- an experiment assessing the resistance of the rocks against salt) values, the weakest rocks were created from a dacite quarry at SaAŸlik. On the other hand, the andesites from Golcuk are probably the most suitable dimension stones for external uses (for example outdoor stairs and pavements), as indicated by having the highest uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) value (mean 90.7 Mpa). The travertines from the Mut region are the most fragile rocks with their 26.1 Mpa values indicating that preventing the uses of outdoor purposes.   Key words: Konya, Turkey, covering rocks, dry weight loss, volcanites, travertines.