2.3.
NATURAL STONE
• high gross density • resist weathering
• Great strength • High thermal conductivity
• Great surface hardness
• ready available
• important to consider origin of stone
• can be used as massive blocks or cladding (according to type of stone)
• Stone extracted from the quarry - shaped - surface treated before or after installation
• refer to stones from their Petrographic designation
• emerge from existing rocks
whose structure is changed
• formed oh particles • Are formed directly from
by pressure, high
• Can contain cavities, horizontal layers, magma by cooling
temperature or chemical
animal or vegetable fossils according to • Particularly strong, hard,
processes
the way they were formed largely homogeneous in
• Usually cavity free, have
• Less strong than ingeous but easier to structure
distinctive texture because of
work
the arrangement of their
components
2.3. NATURAL STONE - TYPICAL STONES
GRANITE
• hardwearing natural stone used in building industry
• Used almost without restrictions
• Strong, frost-resistant and large resistant to weathering
• Available wide range of colors (mainly in gray range)
• Can be finished in many dif ferent ways as required
SANDSTONE
• not as strong as granite
• Cannot be polished
• Absorbs a great deal of water - limited frost resistance
• Is susceptible to airborne pollution - weathering resistance to an extent
• Easy to work
• Slightly banded, open texture
• Available in many colors
LIMESTONE
• is the largest rock category used in the building industry
• Is susceptible to chemical processes due to its composition
• Has usually pastel shades
• Contains fossils often
• Some of its variety can be polished (look like marble)
• Some of them are transparent when cut very thin (like marble)
MARBLE
• is not as strong as granite, can be scratch with a metal blade
• Low absorption rate
• Fizzes in contact with acids
• Can take a high polish
• Has crystalline and sugary appearance
• In its pure form, marble is a white, content of other minerals brings colors
• Some of them are transparent when cut very thin
CLAY SHALE or SLATE
• Is very densely structured
• Absorbs little moisture
• Splits when it is used as thin slabs
• Has usually dark grey or black color
• Barely resists abrasion, but it can be also used for floor covering
• Responds to surface damage by splitting of f (individual layers are worn away), and so remains homogeneous.
2.3. NATURAL STONE - SURFACE TREATMENT
- There are many dif ferent techniques to give stone a dif ferent surface treatment:
- Natural/rough cut
- Polished
- Flaming
- Bush hammering
- Pointing
- Comb chiseling
- Sanding and polishing
- Not every treatment is applicable to every stone
FINISHES
Polished:
Polished stone is created using a process in which the stone is mechanically
rubbed with dif ferent diamond pads until it naturally shines. This finish
showcases the natural beauty of a stone by enhancing the stone’s natural
color and veining. Similar to if you were to rub a beach pebble repeatedly, the
stone is rubbed with dif ferent diamond pads using a machine until it naturally
polishes.
Flames or Thermal:
This process, as the name indicates, involves using a hot torch flame
and running it over the surface of the stone to create a textured, non-
slip finish that has a semi-rough surface.
Bush Hammered:
Stone that has been finished with a bush hammer has a very textured
look. Using a masonry tool that resembles a meat tenderizer, the
surface of the stone is hammered to the point where it breaks up the
surface enough to create deep pockets and ridges, resembling a
natural rough texture.
Natural Cleft or Cut:
This is typically seen on natural stone products like bluestone
or slate. When the stone is split from the earth, a natural ridge
will appear. This finish doesn’t require a saw or materials to
smooth the top, it is simply the natural break of the stone.
Brushed:
Textured finish applied using tools like wire wheels and brushes. The stone
has a smooth touch, creating a casual, worn feeling. A brushed finish can also
be combined with other finishes in certain scenarios. When combined with a
sandblasted or flamed finish it will smooth out the nooks and crannies within
the stone. It will make it softer to the touch and it will look more antiquated.
Sandblasted:
The stone is blasted with a high-pressure spray of air, sand, or other grit,
moving back and forth across the surface until there is a fine, textured look –
similar to that of a perfectly combed beach. Or, if desired, designs or etch
marks can be created on the surface of the stone.
Honed:
This matte-like finish involves the use of abrasives to smooth the stone down
to a flat, even surface that is not shiny nor reflective.
Leather Finish:
Available only in some varieties of marble & granite, this finish gives the stone a
suede look and feel. This texture is smooth and slip-resistant.
2.4. CONCRETE
• universal building material
• Marked development of architecture in 20th century
• Ambivalent material - used in liquid form
• There are a great variety of formworks to be used for fair-face concrete
• The shape and texture of concrete will be the negative of the formwork
There techniques that allow showing the internal structure of the concrete:
• chemical components
• physical treatment
Concrete is strong in compression yet weak in tension
• reinforced concrete = concrete + steel
