ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL, TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC PROPERTIES OF BASALT PAVING OF L’VIV AND HISTORY OF ITS USE

Abstract

“Underrated eternal paving stones of the city of L’viv” or “Where the paving stones end, L’viv ends there...” Paving stones are not only the usual street or road surface of cities. It has become an integral part of the city of L’viv and even its symbol. It is in paintings by artists, in poetry and prose works. L’viv paving stones already live their lives and it is inseparable from the environment. This is not just a symbol, but part of the city. It is impossible to separate these things. At the modern stage, paving can be considered as one of the historic properties that attract residents and guests of the city of L’viv. It has a long history, technical features (manufacture and laying) and, as it turned out, environmental properties.The article considers the history of basalt mining and the assessment of its environmental, physical and chemical, technical and aesthetic properties and the importance of urbanized space for paving streets in order to create a comfortable habitat. Unlike artificial analogues and less stable natural varieties, basalt paving does not change its physical, mechanical and aesthetic characteristics, it is below the generally recognized, most environmentally friendly, hard road surface for which is inherent: 1) extremely high mechanical strength – the first category in the M. M. Protodyakonov’s scale: extremely strong, dense and viscous rock; 2) a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and resistance to a wide range of fluctuations in daily, seasonal or annual temperatures; 3) almost complete absence of cavities and cracks, or their disjoint to each other; 4) maintenance of hundreds and thousands of cycles of freezing and defrosting; 5) absence of water-soluble minerals in mineral composition; 6) resistance to a wide range of aggressiveness of surface and underground waters; 7) environmentally friendly – characterization of the complete absence of toxic gas emanations and freshwater of the water extract; 8) radiation safety – inherent low contents of uranium and thorium (compared to granites), as well as a very low radiation background.