BUILDING STONES

Engr. Rhodora A. Bustamante

Class Instructor
Stone
a natural, hard substance formed from
minerals and earth material which are
present in rocks.

Rock
the portion of the earth’s crust having no
definite shape and structure
To qualify as a construction material, stone
should have the following qualities:
Strength: Most types of
stone have more than
adequate compressive
strength. The shear
strength of stone,
however, is usually
about 1/10 of its
compressive strength
Hardness: hardness is
important when stone
is used for flooring,
paving, and stair
treads.
 Hardness:
Talc, easily scratched with the thumb-nail: 1
Gypsum, scratched by the thumb-nail: 2
Calcite, not scratched by thumb-nail but easily cut by knife: 3
Fluorite, can be cut by knife with greater difficulty than calcite: 4
Apatite, can be cut only with difficulty by knife: 5
Orthoclase, can be cut w/ knife w/ great difficulty on thin edges: 6
Quartz, not scratched by steel, scratches glass: 7
Topaz: 8
Sapphire: 9
Diamond: 10
Durability: Resistance
to the weathering
effects of rain, wind,
heat, and frost action
is necessary for
exterior stonework
Workability: A stone’s
hardness and grain
texture must allow it to
be quarried, cut and
shaped
Density: A stone’s
porosity affects its
ability to withstand
frost action and
staining
Density:

Porosity of Stones

24-hours Water Absorption of Stones by Volume

Appearance:
Appearance factors
include color, grain,
and texture
CLASSIFICATION OF STONES
(according to geological origin):

◼ Igneous rock

◼ Metamorphic rocks

◼ Sedimentary rock
Igneous rock is formed by the crystallization of
molten magma, as granite, obsidian and
malachite
Igneous rock also known
as primary, unstratified
or eruptive rocks
Metamorphic rocks has undergone a change in
structure, texture, or composition due to the
natural agencies, as heat and pressure,
especially when the rock becomes harder
and more crystalline, as marble and slate
Metamorphic rocks:

Examples of Transformation of Rocks

Sedimentary rock is formed by the deposition
of sediment by glacial action, as limestone,
sandstone and shale
Sedimentary rocks are also known as
aqueous or stratified rocks
As a load bearing wall material, stone is similar
to modular unit masonry. Although stone
masonry is not necessarily uniform in size,
its laid up with mortar and used in
compression. Almost all stone is adversely
affected by sudden changes in temperature
and should not be used where a high degree
of fire resistance is required.
Stone is used in construction in the following
forms:

◼ Rubble

◼ Dimension stone

◼ Flagstone

◼ Crushed stone
Rubble - consists of rough fragments of broken
stone that have at least one good face for
exposure in a wall.
Dimension stone - is quarried and squared stone
2’ or more in length and width and of specified
thickness, used commonly for wall panels,
cornices, copings, lintels and flooring.
Flagstone - refers to flat stone slabs used for
flooring and horizontal surfacing.
Crushed stone - is used as aggregate in concrete
products.
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Argillite – formed from

clay, dark blue with faint
shades of green.

Used for:
floor tile
stair threads
coping stones
interior wall base
interior window
stools of exterior
window sills.
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Granite – igneous origin,

hard, strong, durable and
capable of taking high
pressure polish. Red, pink,
yellow, green, blue, white
and brown.

Used for:
flooring
wall paneling
column
mullion facing
stair threads
flagstone
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Limestone – sedimentary
rock like dolomite, no
cleavage lines, low in
absorption, smooth, uniform
in structure & composition.
High compressive & tensile
strength

Used for:
wall & floor surfaces
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Travertine – sedimentary rock,

pleasing texture with small
natural pockets on a cut
surface.

Used for:
interior decorative stone
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Marble – metamorphic rock, a

re crystallized limestone
forming into carrara, parian,
onyx and vermont.

Used for:
flooring
wall & column facing
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Serpentine – igneous with

mineral serpentine.
Typically olive green to
greenish black but
impurities may color the
rock.

Used only for interiors due to

weathering
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Sandstone – class of
rock of cemented silica
grains with texture
ranging from very fine
to very coarse. Colors
vary from buff, red and
light brown. Porous
where as 30% of
volume composed of
pores
TYPES OF BUILDING STONES

Slate Rock –
metamorphosis of clays
and shale's deposited in
layers. May be separated
into thin, tough sheets
called slates . Colors are
black, green red, grey, or
purple.

Used for:
flooring
window sills
stools
stair treads & facing
STONE CONSTRUCTION
Largely used as facing for building material with steel and concrete
frames.

Application Categories :

1. Paneling
2. Ashlars
3. Rubblework
4. Trim
Paneling – thin slabs of stone cut to dimension
and thickness to cover back up walls and
provide finished exterior

◼ Running Bond - a
masonry bond formed
when all units are laid in
stretcher position, with
a half-unit overlap
Paneling – thin slabs of stone cut to dimension
and thickness to cover back up walls and
provide finished exterior

◼ Stack Bond - a masonry

bond formed when there
is no overlapping of all
units and all horizontal
& vertical joints are
aligned
Ashlars – work requires the use of cut stone
that includes broken ashlars, regularly /
irregularly coursed.

◼ Coursed Ashlar - Ashlar

masonry laid out in
courses of equal height;
blocks of various sizes
may be combined to
make up the height of
the course
Ashlars – work requires the use of cut stone
that includes broken ashlars, regularly /
irregularly coursed.

◼ Random Ashlar - Ashlar

masonry laid without
regular courses but with
an overall effect of
horizontal orientation
Rubblework – random & no attempt to
produced an orderly course either
horizontal or vertical.. Small spaces are
filled with smaller stones.

◼ Coursed Rubble - Fieldstone

or roughly dressed stone,
with or without mortar,
assembled to give a effect of
courses
Rubblework – random & no attempt to
produced an orderly course either
horizontal or vertical.. Small spaces are
filled with smaller stones.

◼ Fieldstone - Stone found on the

ground (i.e., not quarried) that is
a suitable size and shape for use
as drywall or rubble masonry
Trim – stones cut for specific purposes like:

jambs
sills
copings
cornices
lintels
steps
arch stone (voussoirs)
Stone Finish
◼ Rusticated - A term describing stone masonry
with a recessed cut margin, so a channel is
formed when the blocks are aligned
◼ Sand Finish - A stone finish that is granular and
moderately smooth, varying with the
characteristics of the specific stone
◼ Sawn Face - A term describing stone exhibiting
the marks left by the saw used to cut it
◼ Rock Face - A stone finish with emphasized
face-plane shifts and rough corners,
exaggerating the natural look of the stone
◼ Split Face - A stone finish exhibiting the natural
quarry texture resulting from splitting the stone
Stone Pavers
◼ Cobble stone - A stone used in paving. It may
be rectangular, or naturally rounded
◼ Durex Blocks - Roughly cubed, usually granite
blocks used for paving