STONE

Presented By :- Sikandar Ali

STONE - The hard,Solid substance,
formed of non metelic mineral
matter, of which rocks consist.

ROCKS – The Portion of earth Crust

having no definite shape and
structure.
 Following are the characteristics of a stone
Texture:
 A good building stone should have compact fine crystalline structure free from cavities, cracks or patches of soft
or loose material. The stones with such texture are strong and durable.
Durability: 
A good building stone should be durable. The various factors contributing to durability of a stone are its chemical
composition, texture, resistance to atmospheric and other influences, location in structure etc. Following are
the important atmospheric causes which affect the durability of a stone.
 Alternate conditions of heat and cold due to differences in temperature.
 Alternate conditions of wetness and dryness due to rain and sunshine.
 Chemical agencies such as dissolved gases in rain
 Wind with high velocity, etc
 Hardness:
The coefficient of hardness, as worked out in hardness level, should be greater than 17 for a stone to be used in
road work. If it is between 14 and 17, the stone is said to be of medium hardness. If it is less than 14, the stone is
said to be of poor hardness and such stone should not be used in rood work.
Appearance:
For face work it should have fine, compact texture; light coloured stone is preferred as dark colour are likely to fade
out in due course of time.
Fracture:
For a good building stone, its fracture should be sharp, even bright and clean with grains well cemented together. A
dull, chalky and earthly fracture of a stone indicates signs of early future decay.
It should however be remembered that one kind of stone is not suitable in all type of construction. For instance, the
soft stones are required for carving, the light stones are required for arches and the hard stones are necessary to stand
high pressures. It is therefore necessary to study carefully the situation in which stones are to be used before any
recommendation is made. Other factors which affect the selection of stone are easy availability, nearness of quarry,
facility of transport, reasonable price, climatic conditions of the construction site, etc.

Cost :
The cost of any stone depends on its intrinsic valuation in the quarry, the cost of quarrying and dressing and the cost
of transportation from the quarry to the site of the structure. The cost of transportation is often the most important,
and this consideration frequently decides not only the choice of stone but even the type of construction - whether
stone masonry or concrete.
Uses of stones:
 Sandstone is a popular stone with sculptors.
 Good and durable construction material
 Stones are used for the ornamental and architectural beauty.
 Limestone for burning lime and also for manufacture of cement
 Limestone as a flux in blast furnaces
 Stones are used in the manufacturing of iron.
 Generally, stones are used as a construction material of different structures likes dams, columns, bridges
piers, harbors etc.
 Insulators in electrical appliances
 Many More ….
Building Stones:
 Millions of tones of crushed rock are needed annually for road base, paving, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt.
 Sandstone which is not so hard-wearing or beautifully patterned is used for garden walls and paths in landscaping.
 Basalt: It is quarried and crushed as "Blue Metal" which is used as a road-base, and in reinforced concrete as aggregate.
 Although wood, straw and mud is used for houses in some parts of the world, most buildings are preferred to be built of stones.
 Building wells.
 Material for foundation and walling of buildings, dams, bridges, etc.
 Aggregate
 Stone walls
 Roof tile in the form of slates
 Murram for covering and flooring of road surface
 Limestone for burning lime and for the manufacture of Portland cement
 Shale is a component of bricks and may also be used in manufacturing of cement.
 Nite, another stone type is used for architectural construction, ornamental stones and monuments.
 Marble is widely used in construction industry, for aesthetic purposes, beautification and strength

Stone being so important in the light of the above uses still is not widely used in construction. The reasons are:
Stones are replaced by the increased use of RCC. Dressing of stones is time consuming Stones are not cheaply and conveniently available
in plain areas.
TESTING ON STONE
 ACID TEST
 Attrition Test
 Crushing Test
 Crystallization Test
 Freezing & Thawing Test
 Hardness Test
 Impact Test
 Microscopic Test
 Smith’s Test
 Water Absorption Test
 STONE QUARRYING
 Quarrying with hand tool
 Quarrying with channelling Machine
 Quarrying by Blasting

 Quarrying with hand tool  Quarrying with channelling Machine  Quarrying by Blasting
 Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of calcite. Commonly
Limestone is produced in a honed finish, as most are not able to take a
high polish due to its delicate nature. Limestone is generally ivory,
browns or greys in colour and has a low to mid-range hardness.

Travertine
Travertine is an elegant natural stone that has been used as a building
material for centuries. The stone can be found in many different colors,
ranging from gray to gold. From countertops to flooring, travertine has
many uses. The natural stone can be utilized both indoors and outdoors.
 Granite
Granite is an igneous rock formed from magma deep within the earth's crust.
Granite is generally composed of quartz and feldspar making it extremely
scratch, heat and chip resistant. Its low porosity makes it an excellent
material for both internal and external applications, mainly suited to kitchen
benchtops and flooring.

Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to the
heat and pressure of metamorphism. It is soft and can be easily damaged,
comprising primarily of calcite and often containing other minerals such as
clay, micas, quartz, iron oxides and graphite.
 Onyx
Onyx is a calcareous material with a very fine grain and veins running alongside
each other. It's a translucent stone synonymous with luxury living and often
produced in a high polish finish to expose the colours and patterns.

Soapstone
Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of
metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is
produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in
the zones where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and
pressure, with influx of fluids, but without melting.

Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that is created by the alteration of
shale or mudstone by low-grade regional metamorphism. It is popular for a wide
variety of uses such as roofing, flooring, and flagging because of its durability and
attractive appearance.

Quartzite
Quartzite has similar, if not stronger, physical-mechanical features than granite. It is
suitable for both internal and external applications depending on the particular type
and can uniquely offer colours and veining similar to that of marble with the added
benefit of the hardness of granite, making this the ideal kitchen bench top material.