CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS – III (RAR – 302)

MODULE I – STONE & ROCKS

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 CONTENTS
▪ DEFINITION
▪ CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
• GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICAITON OF ROCKS
• PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
• CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
▪ QUARRYING OF STONES
▪ NATURAL BED OF STONES
▪ SEASONING OF STONES
▪ DRESSING OF STONES
▪ CHRACTERISTICS OF GOOD BUILDING STONE
▪ USES OF STONES
▪ TESTS OF STONES
▪ DETERIORATION OF STONES
▪ PRESERVATION OF STONES
▪ TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN INDIA
▪ ARTIFICIAL STONES

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 DEFINITION

ROCKS:

▪ A lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter.

▪ Material consisting of the aggregate of minerals like those making up
the Earth's crust

STONES:

▪ A lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter.

▪ Building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite
shape for a special purpose.

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 DEFINITION
IN CONSTRUCTION:

ROCK

▪ An indefinite mixture of naturally occurring substances, mainly

minerals.
▪ Its composition may vary in containment of minerals and organic
substances, and are never exact.

STONE

▪ Small piece of rock; may or may not refer to ornamental material.

▪ To ease the understanding of this topic, Rock=Stone.

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 EXAMPLES

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 CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS

I. GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
II. PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION
III. CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION

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 CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS

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 I. GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS

In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of

minerals and/or mineraloids.

The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In

general rocks are of three types, namely,

A. Igneous rocks
B. Sedimentary rocks
C. Metamorphic rocks

The scientific study of rocks is called petrology, and petrology is

an essential component of geology.

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 A.IGNEOUS ROCKS
( PRIMARY , UN-STRATIFIED OR ERUPTIVE ROCKS)
▪ Volcanic origin and formed as a result of
solidification of molten mass lying below
or above the earth’s surface.
▪ The inner layers of the earth are at a
very high temperature causing the
masses of silicate to melt.
▪ The molten mass called magma is forced
up as volcanic eruption forming rock
when solidifies is known as Igneous
rocks.
▪ The principle constituents of magma are
quartz, mica and felspar.

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 TYPES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS
Depending upon the cooling effect different types of igneous rocks are formed.

▪ Volcanic igneous / Effusive rocks

The rocks formed ,when magma is forced out and spread over the surface of earth where it solidified is known as
Effusive Rocks- extremely fined grained ex. Basalt.

▪ Plutonic rocks

If the magma solidifies below the earth’s surface itself , the solid crystalline rock is termed as deep –seated
plutonic rock.- grained and crystalline ex. Granite

▪ Hypa-byssal rocks

If the magma solidifies at relatively shallow depth, resultant rocks -finely grained and crystalline ex. Dolerite

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 SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(AQUEOUS, STRATIFIED)
▪ The various weathering agencies, e.g. rain, sun,
air, frost etc. breaks up the surface of earth.
▪ Rain water carries down these broken pieces to
the rivers. As the river descend down to the
plains, the velocity decreases gradually and the
sediments (disintegrated rocks pieces, sand, silt,
clay etc.) in the water settle.
▪ Due to the seasonal variation, sedimentation
takes place in layers. With time, the sediments
get consolidated in horizontal beds due to the
pressure exerted by overlying materials.

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 TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
▪The examples of sedimentary rocks resulting from the precipitation of salts in
drying water basin (chemical deposits) are Gypsum, anhydrite, magnesite,
dolomite, lime tufas.

▪Sedimentary rocks resulting from the accumulation of plant or animal remains

(organogenous rocks) limestone , shale , chalk, diatomite and Tripoli.

▪The example of rocks resulting from the deterioration of massive magmatic or

sedimentary rocks (fragmental rocks) are sandstone sand, carbonate
conglomerate and breccia.

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 METAMORPHIC ROCKS

▪These are formed from igneous or sedimentary rocks as a

result of the action of the earth movements, temperature
changes, liquid pressure, etc.

▪The resultant mass may have a foliated structure, e.g. slate ,

gneiss, schist and phyallite or non-foliated structure, e.g.
marble, quartzite and serpentine.

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 METAMORPHIC ROCKS

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 ROCK CYCLE

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 II. PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
▪ STRATIFIED ROCKS

Such rocks which possess planes of stratification or cleavage.

These rocks can be easily split along these plane.

▪ UNSTRATIFIED ROCKS

They have compact granular structure and don’t show any

layers of stratification or cleavage Ex. All rocks of volcanic origin.

▪ FOLIATED OR LAMINATED ROCKS

They comprise of thin lamination. They can be split in definite

direction and size. Ex. Metamorphic rocks .
In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of
minerals and/or mineraloids.

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 III. CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS

▪ SILICEOUS ROCKS

They consists of silica as their predominant constituent. These are very hard and durable
not easily effected by weathering agencies. Ex. Granite, trap, basalt, sand stone, quartzite.

▪ ARGILLACEOUS ROCKS

The predominant constituent is clay. Alumina which is actually clay , remains mixed up in
varying proportion with siliceous, calcareous and carboneous matter. These are hard,
brittle, durable and dense in nature. Ex. Late rite, slate, porphyry.

▪ CALCAREOUS ROCKS

The predominant constituent is calcium carbonate. Ex. Lime stone, marble, dolomite,
kankar.

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 QUARRYING OF STONES

The only operation

involved in the
production of natural
stone is the quarrying
process. The open
part of the natural
rock from which
useful stone is
obtained is known as
quarry.
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 METHOD OF QUARRYING OF STONES
▪ Excavating

Stones buried in the earth or under loose overburden are

excavated with pick axes, crow bars, chisels, hammers.

▪ Wedging

This method is suitable for quarrying costly, soft and

stratified rocks such as sandstone, limestone, laterite,
marble and slate.
About 10-15cm deep holes, at around 10cm spacing is made
vertically in the rock. Plugs( conical wedges) and feathers
(flat wedges) are inserted in them . These plugs are then
stuck simultaneously with sledge hammer. The rock slab
splits , which is detached and taken out with crow bars and
rollers.

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 METHOD OF QUARRYING OF STONES

▪ Heating

Heating is most suitable for quarrying small thin and

regular blocks of stone from rocks , such as granite
and gneiss. A heap of fuel is piled and fired on the
surface of rock in small area. The two consecutive
layers of the rocks separate because of uneven
expansion of layers.

▪ Blasting

Explosive such as blasting powder , blasting cotton,

dynamite and cordite are used. The operations
involved are boring , charging , taming and firing.

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 NATURAL BED OF STONES
It is the original bed, plane or position occupied by the stone
during its formation in a sedimentary rock. The stone should
be placed that the load line is at right angles to the natural
bed.
SEASONING OF STONES
A freshly cut stone carries some natural moisture known as
quarry sap making it soft and workable. The quarry sap is a
mineral solution and reacts chemically with the mineral
constituents when the stone is exposed to atmosphere after
quarrying. The stone becomes harder and compact.

The process takes about 6 to 12 months for complete

seasoning. When the quarry sap evaporates , it leaves a
crystalline film on the faces of the stone and makes them
weather resistance. As such , the dressing, carving and
moulding, etc. should be done as early after quarrying as
possible.
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 DRESSING OF STONES

A quarried stone has a

rough surface, which are
dressed to obtain a definite
and regular shape. Dressing
of stone is done
immediately after quarrying
and before seasoning to
achieve less weight for
transportation. Dressing of
stone provides pleasing
appearance, proper bedding
with good mortar joints,
special shapes for arches,
coping, pillars, etc.

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 DRESSING OF STONES - TOOLS

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 CHRACTERISTICS OF GOOD BUILDING STONES

General structure: It may be stratified, unstratified or foliated.

Fineness of grains
Compactness
Durability: It depends on its chemical composition, physical structure, homogeneity and
closeness of grains and type of cementing material.
Strength
Hardness
Weight
Percentage of wear: It is measured by attrition test and should not be more than 3%.
Easy in dressing or working
Appearance
Porosity and absorption: Less porous are considered good stones and absorption by weight
after 24 hours should not be exceed 0.60.
Resistance of fire
Weathering: Various atmospheric and external agencies such as Rain, frost, wind etc, is
termed as weathering.
Toughness: It is determined by impact test and represented by toughness index. Toughness
index should not be above 19 and below 13.

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 CHRACTERISTICS OF GOOD BUILDING STONES
Appearance- For face work it should have fine, compact texture; light-coloured stone is preferred as
dark colours are likely to fade out in due course of time.

Structure - A broken stone should not be dull in appearance and should have uniform texture free
from cavities, cracks, and patches of loose or soft material.

Strength - A stone should be strong and durable to withstand the disintegrating action of weather.
Compressive strength of building stones in practice range between 60 to 200 N/mm2.

Hardness- This property is important for floors, pavements, aprons of bridges, etc. coefficient of
hardness should be more than 14.

Toughness - The measure of impact that a stone can withstand is defined as toughness. The value of
toughness index must be more than 13.

Specific Gravity – it should be more than 2.7.

Fire Resistant – it depend upon mineral composition of rock. Lime stone resist fire upto 600C.

Water Absorption – For good stone percentage absorption by weight after 24 hours should not
exceed 0.60.
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 USES OF STONES
▪ For masonry work

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Lintel and vertical column

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Covering floors of building

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Paving of roads and foot path

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Construction of roads in form of boulders and aggregate

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 USES OF STONES
▪ As an aggregate in cement as well as lime concretes

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Base material for water works and sewage treatment plants

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 USES OF STONES
▪ As stone patties for roofing

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Manufacture of cement and lime

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 USES OF STONES
▪ Stone may be used to give massive and pleasing appearance to the building.

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 APEEJAY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND
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 TESTS OF STONES

▪ For any specific use , following tests can be carried out on stones
Smith’s test
Freezing and thawing test
Frost action test
Acid test
Water absorption test
Microscopic examination
Impact test
Attrition test
Crushing test
Crystallization test
Hardness test

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 DETERIORATION OF STONES
▪ The various natural agents such as rain, heat, etc. and chemicals deteriorate the stones with
time.

RAIN
Rain water acts both physically and chemically on stone. The physical action is due to the erosive
and transportation powers and the latter due to the decomposition, oxidation and hydration of the
minerals present in the stone.

FROST
In cold places frost pierces the pores of the stones where it freezes, expands and creates cracks .

WIND
Wind carries dust particles, the abrasion caused by these deteriorates the stones.

TEMPERATURE
Expansion and contraction due to frequent temperature changes cause stone to deteriorate
especially if a rock is composed of several minerals with different coefficients of liner expansion.
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 DETERIORATION OF STONES

VEGETABLE GROWTH
Roots of trees and weeds that grow in the masonry joints keep the stones damp and also secrete
organic and acidic matters which cause the stones to deteriorate.

MUTUAL DECAY
When different stones are used together mutual decay takes place. For example when sandstone is used
under limestone, the chemicals brought down from limestone by rain water to the sandstone will
deteriorate.

CHEMICAL AGENTS
Smokes , fumes, acids and acid fumes present in the atmosphere deteriorate the stones.

LICHENS
This destroy limestone but act as protective coats for other stones. Molluses gradually weaken and
ultimately destroy the stone by making series of parallel vertical holes in limestone and sandstone.

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 PRESERVATION OF STONES

▪ Preservation of stone required when ether stone is poor quality or aggressive

atmosphere etc. There are so many types of preservatives to protect stone.

Paints
Linseed oil
Coal tar
Paraffin
Alum and soap
Use of baryta or barium hydroxide
Pointing and plastering

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
INDIA
India is a leading commercial natural stone producing country in the world,
deliv ering 27% of the total world's production of stones from its quarries. India is
exporting natural stone products worth of $300 million each year.

If you are a well- aware buyer, you might be familiar with dif ferent types of stones
in colloquial languages, but catching Geologic terms might tough for you.
Therefore, I am not going to be much technical here. The followings are major
types of natural stones quarrying and exporting from India.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
INDIA
I. Marble Stone in India – Metamorphic Rock
▪ Any crystalline carbonate rock that has an ability to accept a polish is called marble.
▪ Marble is not a very hard natural stone.

Uses : Construction

▪ Marble is used as window sills, fireplace, bathroom floors, wall covering & many other decorative
foyers for residential & commercial buildings.
▪ Most marble is made into either crushed stone or dimension stone

▪ Crushed stone is used as aggregate in highways, railroad beds, building foundations & in other types
of construction.

▪ Dimension stone is produced by sawing marble into pieces of specific dimensions. These are used
in

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Advantages
▪ Versatile.
▪ Elegant.
▪ Durable.
▪ Combines well with ceramic & wood
▪ Easy to clean & maintain.

Disadvantages
▪ Expensive.
▪ Very heavy.
▪ It stains easily.
▪ Very cold during the winter.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
INDIA
▪ Types of Marbles
1. Makarana Marble
It is found in Makarana area of Rajasthan in India. It is a kind calcitic marble found in white %
albeta varities. The deposit is estimated to be 55 million tons and produce from 400 +
quarries in that region. It has 98% of calcium carbonate and only 2% of purities, which are
giving it grayish or pinkish tints in grains and veins.
It is greatly used in the construction of Taj Mahal, Victoria Memorial, Kolkotta, and
Dukhnivaran Sahib Gurdwara (Ludhiana). It is an excellent choice for flooring paving indoor &
outdoor areas of residential & commercial buildings like five-star hotels, religious places,
government offices, and public places of high significance.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 50 – Rs. 400

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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2. Rajnagar
Rajnagar is the largest marble producing area with 2K units it is a white variety of marbles
and due to the intrusion of quartz it is alluring in appearance when polished well. Therefore it
is ideal for flooring, wall cladding and paving in different areas of interior and exterior
applications.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 20 – Rs. 75

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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3. Andhi Marble
It is also known as pista or pistachio marble in the market and found nearby Pink City, Jaipur
in Rajasthan. Green colored tremolite found against an off-white background gives a unique
appearance on the surfaces.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 20 – Rs. 50

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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4. Salumber Marbel or Onyx Marble
Thick bands of green and pink hint beautify
it further. It found around Salumber area of
Rajasthan and resembling original Onyx
marble from Pakistan.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 40 – Rs. 250

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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5. Ambaji White Marble

It competes Makrana marble in many ways and highly used in the construction of sculptures
besides in construction of monuments and religious places. Commercial use also found in
nearby areas of Gujrat.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 40 – Rs. 250

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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6. Abu Black
It is very rare variety of black marble found in the world. It has great demand in temples and
sculptures besides used in the construction.

Thickness : 16 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 150 – Rs. 300

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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7. Katni Range
It is highly crystalline dolomite marble with beige color and hues. It is excellent for outdoor
and interior flooring besides other usage.

Thickness : 10 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 75 – Rs. 150

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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7. Indian Green Marble
Indian green marble it is found in kesaryaji near Udaipur of Rajasthan.most export of marble
constitutes green Marbles in high percentage due to its beauty and other properties as an
awesome variety of Natural stones for interior and somewhat exterior application across the
globe.

Thickness : 10 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 115 – Rs. 120

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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II. Granite Stone in India – Igneous Rock
▪ This is one of the most versatile of all the natural stone because of its high level density &
resistance to bacteria & stains.

▪ It doesn’t react to acidic foods, thus its very suitable for kitchen countertops or any other
exterior applications.

Uses : construction – granite is used as dimension stone.

▪ Interiors – polished granite is used in flooring tiles, stair treads, kitchen countertops &
many other decorative features.

▪ Exteriors – rough cut granite is used in buildings, bridges, paving, monuments & in
other exterior projects.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Thickness : 10 – 25 MM
Price : Rs. 45 – Rs. 750

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Advantages
▪ Granite flooring is hard, durable & long lasting.
▪ Granite can be easily maintained.
▪ It is available in wide range of colours & patterns.
▪ It is hypoallergenic, allergen & bacterial resistant.
▪ Extremely resistant to water n moisture.

Disadvantages
▪ Expensive than other material.
▪ Needs professional installation.
▪ It can feel hard & cold underfoot.
▪ Needs regular cleaning.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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III. Lime Stone in India – Sedimentary Rock

▪ Limestone is a sedimentary rock.

▪ It is one of the abundant stone mostly used in building construction. Since
limestone is comparatively softer than other natural stone.
▪ It most commonly forms in clear, warm, shallow marine waters. It can also be a
chemical sedimentary rock formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from
lake or ocean water.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Uses : construction

▪ Crushed stone – most limestone is made into

crushed stone & used as a construction material,
It is used as a crushed stone for road base &
railroad ballast & it is also used as an aggregate in
concrete.
▪ Dimension stone – dimension stone is often cut
into blocks & slabs of specific dimensions for use
in construction & in architecture. It is used for
facing stone, floor tiles, stair treads, window sills
etc.
▪ It is used in manufacturing cement, printing
plates.
▪ Powered limestone is used as a filler in paper,
paint, rubber, plastics, tiles, toothpaste & in other
materials as both white pigment & a cheap filler.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Advantages
▪ Strong & durable.
▪ A natural & elegant look.
▪ Low on maintenance.

Disadvantages
▪ Expensive.
▪ Installation is complex.
▪ Extremely slippery when wet.
▪ Cold & hard both in appearance & touch

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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III. Travertine

▪ This also falls under limestone category & is one of the most
popular natural stone.

Uses :

▪ Travertine is mainly used in interior & exterior walls, including fireplaces,

floors, mosaic tiles etc.
▪ The largest building is mostly constructed of travertine.
▪ It can be polished to a smooth, shinny finish.
▪ It comes in a variety of colors from grey to coral-red.
▪ Travertine is most commonly available in tile sizes for floor installations.
▪ Travertine is one of the most frequently used stones in modern architecture.

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 Thickness : 10 – 25 MM
Price : Rs. 50 – Rs. 500

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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III. Slate

▪ Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous

metamorphic rock derived from an original shale
typesedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic
ash through low-grade regional metamorphism.

Uses :

▪ Slate is particularly used as a roofing material.

▪ Slate tiles are used for interiors & exterior flooring, stairs, wall cladding &
walkways.
▪ Slate can be set into the walls to provide a damp proof membrane.
▪ slate is extensively used for blackboards & writing slates.

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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Advantages
▪ Slate is fire resistance & energy efficient.
▪ Resists climate changes.
▪ Slate is incredibly durable & can last several hundred years with little or no
maintenance.
▪ Wide ranges of colors.
▪ Slate provides a long- lasting weather - tight roof with a life span around 80-100
years.

Disadvantages
▪ Slate may develop cracks.
▪ Slate flooring can be slippery when used in external locations subjected to rain.

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 Thickness : 10 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 25 – Rs. 75

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 TYPES OF NATURAL STONES AVAILABLE IN
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III. Quartz

▪ Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock

which was originally pure quartz sandstone.
Sandstone is converted into quartzite through
heating & pressure usually related to tectonic
compression within orogenic belts.
Uses :

▪ Quartzite is used for flooring, roofing tiles, wall cladding, stair- steps & its use for
countertops in kitchens is expanding rapidly.
▪ Crushed quartzite is used for road construction.
▪ Crushed quartzite is used as railway ballast.

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Advantages
▪ It is harder & more resistant to stains than granite.
▪ Available in unique colors & patterns.
▪ Easy to clean.
▪ Non skid surface.

Disadvantages
▪ Heavier than granite.
▪ Expensive.

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 Thickness : 12 – 20 MM
Price : Rs. 400 – Rs. 2000

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III. Sandstone

▪ Sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock composed of sand-sized grains of mineral,

rock or organic material. It also contains a cementing material that binds the sand
grains together & may contain a matrix of silt or clay-size particles that occupy the
spaces between the sand grains.

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Uses :

▪ In the subsurface, sandstone often serves as an aquifer for groundwater or as a

reservoir for oil & natural gas.
▪ It is also been used for artistic purpose to create ornamental
fountains & statues.
▪ It is widely used around the world as a construction material or as a raw
material used in manufacturing
▪ Flooring – sandstone is used in paving, flooring, roofing.
▪ Walls – sandstone binds with the cement & also durable. It is hence used to build
walls, pillar, landscaping products etc.

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Advantages
▪ It is relatively soft.
▪ Non-slippery, low maintenance.
▪ Some sandstones are resistant to weathering, yet are easy to work.
▪ Available in many colors.
▪ Allergen & bacteria resistant.
▪ Stain & moisture resistant.

Disadvantages
▪ Needs sealing.

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 Thickness : 15 – 50 MM
Price : Rs. 15 – Rs. 200

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III. Basalt

▪ Basalt is a dark-colored, fine grained, igneous rock . Basalt underlies more of

earth’s surface than any other rock type. Most areas within earth’s ocean basins
are underlain by basalt. Although basalt is much less common on continents, lava
flows & flood basalts underlie several percent of earth’s land surface. Basalt is a
very important rock.

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Uses :

▪ Basalt is used for a wide variety of purpose. It is most commonly crushed for use
as an aggregate in construction projects.
▪ Crushed basalt is used for road base, concrete aggregate, asphalt pavement
aggregate, railroad basalt, filter stone in drain fields & many other purposes.
▪ Basalt is also cut into dimension stone. Thin slabs of basalt are cut & sometimes
polished for use as floor tiles, building veneer, monuments & other stone objects.

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Advantages
▪ Strong & durable, i.e long life spam.
▪ Minimal maintenance required easy maintenance activities.

Disadvantages
▪ Relatively slow construction process depending on the availability of stone breakers.

Thickness : 20 – 50 MM
Price : Rs. 75 – Rs. 150

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES
▪ Artificial stone, which is also called casted stone, is constructed from cement, sand , and natural
aggregate such as crushed stone. it is possible to provide certain surface textures to artificial
stones.

▪ Where durable stone is not available at reasonable cost, artificial stone, also known as CAST STONE
becomes a choice. These stone can be molded into the most intricate forms , cast into any size,
reinforced to have higher strength, are most suitable for face work, since grooves rebates etc., can be
cast easily and are economical.

▪ Sometimes, specific pigments used to achieve certain color. The addition of pigments shall not
exceed 15% by volume.

▪ Artificial stone can be cast into complicated and considerably detailed forms and various sizes can be
manufactured. Added to that, it can be reinforced to increase strength.

▪ Finally, it is worth mentioning that artificial stones are casted easily and economically.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES

▪ Artificial stone consists of 1.5 parts of coarse aggregate of size 3mm to 6mm and 1.5 parts
of fine aggregate of size less than 3mm.
▪ Both aggregate are obtained from natural stone. Both aggregate mix well and will form
three parts.
▪ Add one part of cement to three parts mix them dry.
▪ Add suitable pigment to the dry mix.
▪ Lastly add water to the dry mix to obtain a mixture of workable consistency.
▪ The plastic mix is then pressed into moulds, cured, and dried.
▪ Now Artificial stone blocks are ready to use. Blocks may be polished or white cement can
be used to develop light shades.
▪ Cement, concrete, mosaic tiles, terrazzo, R.C.C. are some examples of artificial stones.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES - TYPES
▪ Ransom stone
It is also called chemical stone which its compression strength is at least 32 MPa.
Ransom stone is manufactured by blending silica soda with cement to provide fancy
and ornamental flooring.

▪ Concrete block
Concrete blocks are used for the construction of steps, window, sills, and piers. It is
cased in the construction site.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES - TYPES
▪ Artificial marble
It is constructed from Portland gypsum cement and sand
using either precast or cast in situ technique.
For precast production technique, the casted artificial
marble will be stripped from the mould after three days
and then treated with liquid fluorite of magnesia solution at
the age of five days.
After that, the stone is washed and wrapped with paper for
24 hours and treated again with the same solution, and it
will be polished at the final stage at the age of 30days.
For in situ construction method, layer of prepared mixture
is placed on a canvas, and the thickness of the layer shall be
1.5 mm greater than the required thickness of the stone to
be constructed. The surface of the laid layer is rubbed and
then polished properly.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES - TYPES

▪ Bituminous stone
It is produced by impregnation of granite and diorite with refined tar. Functions of
bituminous stone includes the provide wear, noise, and dust resistance stone
surface.

▪ Victoria stone
It is a granite piece which its surface is hardened by submerged the stone in silica
soda for two months.

▪ Garlic stone
Garlic stone, which is employed as a surface drains and flag stones, is produced by
mixing and casting Portland cement and iron slag.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES - TYPES

Imperial stone
The procedure used to produce imperial artificial stone includes careful washing of
finely crushed granite, mixing granite with Portland cement, cast the mixture into a
favored form, and finally steam cure the casted imperial stone for twenty-four
hours.

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 ARTIFICIAL STONES - ADVANTAGES

▪ Can be cast in any shape or size.

▪ Can be made stronger than natural stones.
▪ Can be used in any position.
▪ Easily moulded and seasoned at the site of work.
▪ Do not require any dressing.
▪ Can be designed for any strength.
▪ Can be cast in economical sizes which could be easily handled.
▪ More durable than natural stones.
▪ Do not require any transportation as they can be cast at site.
▪ Holes , for the purpose of pipe or electric wire fittings, may be kept at the time
of casting.
▪ The progress of work will be faster with precast stone .

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 Credits and References

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