2. ROCKS
Building stones are naturally
available material of construction ,
Obtained from rocks, in irregular
shape and size

3. Classification of Rocks
Geological Classification
 Igneous rocks
 Formed by cooling of molten lava
 Un-stratified rocks
 E.g. Granite, Basalt, Trap
 Sedimentary Rocks
 Formed from weathering deposits (sediments)by wind or water
 Stratified rocks
 Solidified to rocks due to compaction caused by intense pressure
from overlaying sediments.
 E.g. Sandstone, Gypsum, Lime stone
 Metamorphic rocks
 Changed from igneous or sedimentary rocks
 Foliated rocks
 Changed due to intense heat or pressure inside earth
 E.g. Marble, Slate, Laterite Gneiss, Quartzite

4. Classification of Rocks
Chemical classification
 Siliceous rocks:
 Silica (SiO2) is the major constituent
 Granite, Sandstone
 Argillaceous rocks:
 Clay is the main constituent
 Slate, Laterite
 Calcareous rocks:
 Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is the main constituent
 Limestone, marble

5. Quarrying(Extraction Of Stones)
 The Process of extracting or taking out stones
from rock beds is known as quarrying of
stones.
 A Mine is one in which the quarrying process is
carried on.
 Methods Of Quarrying
 Digging or excavating, heating, wedging
 For soft rocks like limestone, marble
 Blasting-blasting rocks with explosives
 For hard dense rocks like granite, basalt

6. Dressing Of Stones
 Stones obtained from quarrying have
rough surface
 Dressing is the process of cutting the
stones into regular shape and size with
the required finished surface.
 Purpose
Suitable size
Regular shape and pleasing
appearance
Proper bedding for stone masonry

7. Qualities of A Good stone
• Crushing strength >100 N/sq.mm
• Uniform color
• Fine crystalline structure, strong and should be durable
• Easy to carve and dress
• Building stone should be sharp and clear
• Stones used in road work must be hard enough
• Wear and tear < 3%
Wear and tear = 3% (tolerable)
Wear and tear >3% (not satisfactory)
• Specific gravity >2.7
• Should not absorb water more than 0.6% by weight
• Acid resistant, fire resistant.

8. Testing Of Stones
• Hardness Test: tested by pen knife which will not produce
scratch
• Impact Test(Toughness): tested by impact test machine.
• Test for crushing strength:
crushing strength= max load at failure
Area of bearing face
• Microscopic Test: to study properties like Mineral
constitution, texture, average grain size etc
• Attrition/Abrasion Test: to test % of wear of stones in
Deval’s attritions test.
% wear=(Loss in weight/initial weight) *100

9. Testing Of Stones
• Electrical Resistance Test: resistance of stones is measured
from its water absorption capacity (as wet stones have less
resistance)
• Crystallization Test: immersed in a solution of Sod. Sulphate
and dried in hot air. Diff in weight if any is recorded and that
determines the durability of stones
• Acid test: corners of the stone become roundish and loose
when kept immersed in HCl or H2SO4 for a long period. This
test is carried out in order to determine whether the stone can
be used in smoky atmosphere
• Fire Resistance Test: to find its fire resistance, test for the
amount of Calcium Carbonate present (Add H2SO4 and you
get bubbles)

10. Basic Use
Stone is used in different ways in buildings:
 It may be laid in mortar, much like bricks or concrete blocks,
to make walls, arches, and vaults, a method of construction
referred to as stone masonry.
 It may be mechanically attached to the structural frame or
walls of a building as a facing, called stone cladding.
 As known it is used for construction like construction of walls,
columns, arches, roofs, floors etc
 For foundation of buildings, damp proof courses etc.
 Hard stones used for pavements and roads.
 As a basic material in concrete manufacturing.
 Blocks used in construction of bridges, piers etc

11. Types Of Building Stones And Uses
GRANITE:
• Granite is the igneous rock most commonly quarried for
construction in North America.
• Granite is nonporous, hard, strong, and durable, the most nearly
permanent of building stones
USES
• Granite has been extensively used as flooring tiles in public and
commercial buildings and monuments.
Life-size elephant and other creatures
carved in granite; Mahabalipuram.
Polished granite is also a popular choice
for kitchen countertops due to its high

12. LIMESTONE
 Limestone is one of the principal sedimentary rock types used
in construction.
 Limestone may be composed either of calcium carbonate
(oolitic limestone) or of a mixture of calcium and magnesium
carbonates (dolomitic limestone).
USES
 Limestone is very common in architecture, especially in Europe
and North America.
 Manufacture of Cement.

13. SANDSTONE
 Sandstone is the second major sedimentary rock type used in
building construction.
 Sandstone was formed in ancient times from deposits of
quartz sand (silicon dioxide).
USES
 Flooring: Sandstones are mainly used in paving, flooring,
roofing etc. This is very strong that makes it perfect material
for flooring.
 Resistant to Corrosion and weathering.
 The different shades and patterns of sandstone make garden
pavement gorgeous.

14. QUARTZITE
 Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was
originally sandstone.
 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and
pressure.
 Pure quartzite is usually white to grey, though quartzites often
occur in various shades of pink and red due to varying
amounts of iron oxide (Fe2O3).
USES
 Quartzite is a decorative stone and may be used to cover
walls, as roofing tiles, as flooring, and stair steps.
 Crushed quartzite is sometimes used in road construction .

15. Quartzite mine in Columbia, Canada
Quartzite with
shades of Red and
Pink due to amounts
of iron oxide
(Fe2O3).

16. SLATE
 Slate is one of the metamorphic stone groups utilized in
construction.
 Slate was formed from clay.
 It is a dense and hard stone.
USES
 Slate can be made into roofing slates, also called roofing shingles
 Slate is particularly suitable as a roofing material as it has an
extremely low water absorption index of less than 0.4%.
 Slate tiles are often used for interior and exterior flooring, stairs,
walkways and wall cladding.

17. Slate roof.
Buildings with
slate roofs.

18. MARBLE
 Marble is the one of the major metamorphic rock groups.
 In its true geologic form it is a recrystallized form of
limestone.
 It is easily carved and polished and occurs in white, black,
and nearly every colour, often with beautiful patterns of
veining.
USES
 Mainly used for Flooring.
 Finely ground marble or calcium carbonate powder is a
component in paper, and in consumer products such
as toothpaste, plastics, and paints.
 Also for interior decorations.

19. Different Textures Of Marble

20. Taj Mahal
Ancient marble columns
in a prayer hall
Marbles Used In Construction

21. CHALK
 Chalk is a soft, white,
porous sedimentary rock, a form
of limestone composed of
the mineral calcite.
 Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3.
It forms under relatively deep marine
conditions
USES
Chalk is used to make quicklime and
slaked lime, mainly used as lime
Mortar in buildings.

22. LATERITE
 Laterites are soil types rich
in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and
wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are
rusty-red because of iron oxides.
 They develop by intensive and long-
lasting weathering of the
underlying parent rock.
USES
 Used in wall Construction and
rough stone masonry work.

23. GRAVEL
 Gravel is a rock that is of a specific particle size range.
 It is available in river beds in the form of pebbles.
 Specifically, it is any loose rock that is larger than 2 mm (0.079 in)
 The next smaller size class in geology is sand.
USES
 Gravel is an important commercial product, with a number of
applications. Many roadways are surfaced with gravel, especially
in rural areas where there is little traffic.
 Both sand and small gravel are also important for the manufacture
of concrete.