Today, a variety of materials such as cement-based plasters, fired materials like ceramics and clinker, wood, plastic, glass, metals, and natural stones are commonly used as façade cladding materials. However, these materials often present environmental disadvantages due to the unsustainable nature of their production processes, high energy consumption during cutting, drilling, shaping, and transportation, and the associated increase in carbon footprint. Therefore, it is crucial that materials selected for façade applications are locally available, exhibit low environmental impact, possess adequate resistance to atmospheric conditions, and require minimal energy during processing. Natural materials with porous structures offer additional benefits, including reduced weight, energy efficiency, and thermal insulation. In this study, the usability of tuff stone obtained from the Evliyatekke region of the Meram district, Konya Province, as a natural stone façade cladding material was investigated. For this purpose, various physico-mechanical tests such as Schmidt hammer hardness (SHR), dry density (ρd), porosity (n), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), point load strength index (PLT), and freeze-thaw resistance (FTR) were conducted on the tuff samples, along with abrasion tests including Los Angeles (LA) and Micro-Deval (MD). The findings indicate that Evliyatekke tuff possesses characteristics suitable for use as a natural cladding material in building façades.
Karakaya et al. (Sun,) studied this question.