Stone Masonry

The most common materials used in stone masonry are granite,

limestone, marble, sandstone, and slate.

Due to the development of new materials and methods of construction,

_ stones are now used mainly for their decorative value.

Most stones are removed from a quarry and sent to a finishing mill for
final dressing.

Some stones are used in their original shapes and surface finishes.

Stone masonry can be laid as solid walls of stone or

_ as composite walls backed with concrete block or tile.

It is also used as a veneer.

Stone walls are classified in the following ways:

Rubble consists of stones as they come from the quarry or are gathered
from a field or stream.

Ashlar stones are squared stones that have been laid in a pattern but not
cut to dimensions.

Cut stones, also known as dimensional stones,

_ are cut and finished at the mill to meet the specifications of a particular
construction job.

Unlike ashlar masonry, which is laid largely at the design of the mason,

_ cut stones are laid according to the design of the civil engineer.
Metals

Construction jobs make use of metal windows,

_ doors, studs, beams, joists, wall facings, roofing, plumbing, and

hardware .

Among the different kinds of metals, there are included the following:

Metals can be divided into two categories, ferrous and nonferrous.

Ferrous metals contain iron as a principal element,

_ and usually have magnetic properties.

Nonferrous metals contain no iron and do not have magnetic properties.

They are typically lighter and less strong than ferrous metals.