Introduction and selection of stones

http://www.aboutcivil.org/Stone-introduction-and-...

Search

Civil Engineering Engineering Materials Stones Introduction and selection of stones

Stone Construction
Design of Stone
Buildings
Use Applications of
Stones
Classification of
Stones
Stone Introduction
Properties of Stones
Engineering Metals
GeoTextiles | Bitumen

Civil Engg.
Subjects

Professional
Ethics
Soil Mechanics I
Engineering
Economics
Technical Report
Skills
Surveying &
Leveling II
Differential
Equations

Starting a New Business?

Reduce your Office costs. Get a Business Address instead!

Introduction and selection of stones

Parameters considered in selection of a good construction stone
Being cheap, hard, durable and naturally good looking, stones are often used in construction but keeping in
view the variable properties of stones of different types, there must be some criteria for the selection of stones
for construction. The criteria is based upon the following parameters.
1. Chemical composition of stone:
2. Strongness and hardness:
3. Durability:
4. Resistance to fire:
5. Bio-Deterioration:
6. Appearance:
7. Susceptibility to being quarried in large sizes:

1. Chemical composition of stones:

Using/selecting a stone for construction, its chemical properties and composition must be tested and verified
because different elements and compounds in stones have different properties. For instance, Magnesium in
Limestone causes it to be more stronger and is called Dolomite. Feldspar, in large quantities in stone is a source
of weakness because CO2 dissolves Potassium, Sodium, and even Calcium in the Feldspar leaving pure white
clay behind.

Strength of
materials

Presence of Mica, even less than 2-3% makes stone unsuitable for building purposes. Stones with silicates as
cementing materials are resistant to weathering.

Engineering
Geology

2. Strongness and hardness:

Building
Construction
Steel Structures
Hydraulics
Reinforced
Concrete
Hydrology
Past Papers
Project Planning
Hydraulics
Structures

The more compact grained and heavier a stone, the more stronger it is. A crystalline stone is superior to a
non-crystalline texture. The specific gravity of good stone should be above 2.7.
Stones used for road metal, paving blocks, floor slabs and railway ballast have to withstand mainly abrasion or
wear and tear. Stone wall subjected to vibrations of machinery and moving loads should necessarily possess
toughness. Strongness and hardness itself depend on some factors:
Factors affecting strength, hardness and toughness

a. Hardness or softness of the components

b. Proportions of the hard and soft minerals
c. Size and shape of the minerals
d. Cohesion
e. Porosity
f. Density
g. Cementing material
a) Hardness or softness of the components:

1 of 3

02/09/2016 05:10 PM

Introduction and selection of stones

Civil Engineering
Ebooks
Video Training
Tutorial
AutoCAD Videos
VICO Constructor
SAP2000 Training
MS Project
Tutorials
Civil Related Links

Jobs

http://www.aboutcivil.org/Stone-introduction-and-...

The composition of the compounds determines its hardness or softness. Stones

containing Si, Na, K are poor while that containing Mg, Ca, and Fe are good, as they
are harder. If the stone is composed of soft and unhardened materials it will result in a
soft materials and vice versa.
b) Proportion of hard and soft materials:

The amount of soft and hard material in a specific sample of stone also matters.
Greater the amount of hard materials more will be the resistence to weathering.
c) Size and shape of the minerals is stones:

Crystalline solids are hard and compact, thus superioir to non-crystalline. Finer the
crystals, stronger the stones and vice versa, This property i.e fineness reduces the
pores in the stone.
d) Cohesion:

Engineering
Projects
Suggest us, What
to Add

It is the property of atoms or particles to attract each other. The fine grains have more
cohesive power than the coarser grains. Greater the cohesion in stone causes
increase in the hardness, strongness and toughness of stones. The property of
compactness also depends deeply on cohesion.
e) Porosity:

Stones in wet conditions and having pores in them allow a lower crushing strength
than normal. Porosity can reduce the strength upto 30 - 40% e.g limestone and
sandstone are affected by this property. Porosity is the property of a substance in
which it contains pores i it. It also reduces the resistence to a concentrated (point)
load.
f) Density:

If a stone is compact, dense, it would also be non-porous and strong , thus toughness
also depends upon density.
g) Cementing material:

Stones with silicates as cementing material will be resistant to weathering than those
with calcareous or ferruginous binding material. So, cementing material also affects
the choice of stone selection.

Ace Building Contractor

Construction, Renovation, Design Villas,Houses,Commercial Buildings

3) Resistence to heat:
Resistence to heat means that the stone must have a very low amount of expansion due to large increase in
temperature. Silicious materials are good at areas where resistence to fire is required.

4) Bio-deterioration:
Certain trees and creepers thrust theri roots in the joints of stones and have both mechanical and chemical
adverse effects. Special microbes can grow on the surface and in minute fissures, their by-products cause
flaking and discoloration.

5) Appearance:
The aesthetic aspect that is color, appearance and show of stones must also be considered when being used in
a project. Appearance depends on the color and the ease with which the stone can be dressed, rubbed or
polished.

2 of 3

02/09/2016 05:10 PM

Introduction and selection of stones

Related Pages
Classification of stones
Properties and Tests on Stones
Applications of Stones
Cements
About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us |

3 of 3

http://www.aboutcivil.org/Stone-introduction-and-...
Related Pages
Stone Mortars
Design and Construction of stone buildings
Atterberg's Limits
Concrete
2014 WebTechTix

02/09/2016 05:10 PM