Building Construction and Materials- II

AGUAR 0202
Contents- Stone Masonry (Part 1)
1. Introduction
2. Classification of Rocks
3. Quarrying of Stones
4. Dressing of Stones
5. Selection of Surface Finish
6. Seasoning of Stones
7. Characteristics of Good Building Stones

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1. Introduction
 Stone has been defined as the natural hard
substance formed from minerals and earth material
which are present in the rocks.

 Rocks may be defined as the portion of Earth’s crust

having no definite shape and structure.

 Various types of rocks from which building stones

are usually derived are Granite, Basalt, Marble, Slate,
Sandstone and Limestone.

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2. Classification of Rocks
 Assignment No. 1: Detailed write up for
classification of rocks.

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3. Quarrying of Stones
 Stone Quarrying Tools

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3. Quarrying of Stones
 Depending upon the nature and surface of rock,
various methods of quarrying can be applied as
mentioned.
1. Excavation
2. Wedging
3. Heating
4. Blasting
i. Boring
ii. Charging
iii. Temping

 Assignment No. 1: Detailed description of these

methods
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4. Dressing of Stones
 A quarried stone has rough surface, which is dressed
to form a definite an regular shape.
 Dressing of stone is done immediately after
quarrying and before seasoning to achieve less
weight for transportation.
 Dressing of stone provides pleasant appearance,
proper bedding with good mortar joints, special
shapes for arches, copings, pillars etc.

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4. Dressing of Stones
 Types of Dressing

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4. Dressing of Stones
 Types of Dressing

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4. Dressing of Stones
 Types of Dressing

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4. Dressing of Stones
 Types of Dressing

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4. Dressing of Stones
 Types of Dressing

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5. Selection of Surface Finish

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6. 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. This process
takes about 6-12 months for complete seasoning. When
the Quarry sap evaporates, it leaves a crystalline film on
the face of the stone and makes them weather resistant.
 The dressing before seasoning improves the weather
resistance. Thus dressing, carving, moulding etc should
be done as early after quarrying as possible.

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7. Characteristics of Good Building Stones
 Appearance
 Structure
 Strength
 Weight
 Hardness
 Toughness
 Porosity and Absorption
 Workability
 Fire resistance

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