Civil Engineering Materials

CEN 213

Building Stones
 Building stones

 A building stone is obtained from the rocks in the

earth-crust.
 It is naturally occurring substance. Stone is
considered to the king of engineering materials, and
where durability and permanency of a structure are
required; it continues to enjoy its superiority over all
other rival materials of engineering construction.
 To understand the properties of stones, one should
study first the characteristics of stone-forming
minerals.
 Minerals:

 Minerals are naturally occurring substances, having

characteristics internal structures and of more or less
definite chemical composition and displaying more or
less definite physical properties.
 Principal Stone forming minerals

Silica:
Quartz is pure silica. Its color may be white, grey, pink,
purple or yellowish. It is hard and specific gravity is
2.66. It is used in the manufacture of bricks,
ceramics, glass, concrete, mortar, plaster etc.
 Feldspar:

 Contains silica, Alumina, Potassium, Sodium or

Calcium. Generally two types:

 Potash Feldspar:
 used in the manufacture of porcelain wares,
glasses and also for glazing.
 Lime-Soda Feldspar:
 used for manufacturing glasses and ceramic
products.
 Micas:

Two types:

 Muscovite:
It disintegrates very rapidly, hence a source of
weakness is present in building stones.
 Biotite:
Structure is foliated, moderately hard.
 Amphibole
 Pyroxene
 Olivine
 Calcite
 Dolomite
 Magnesite
 Garoet
 Asbestos
 Iron oxide
 Classification of stones

Igneous stones:
 Obtained from igneous rocks which formed by
cooling and solidifying of rock masses from
their molten conditions on and within the earth
crust.

 Are very heavy

 Examples: granite, trap and basalt

 Sedimentary stones:

 Obtained from sedimentary rocks which form

by hardening the sedimentation under lakes
and seas.

 Are not very heavy and strong

 Examples: limestone and sandstone

 Metamorphic stones:

 Obtained from metamorphic rocks

 Due to high pressure and temperature inside

the earth crust both igneous and sedimentary
rocks are converted into metamorphic rocks
with development of new characteristics.

 Very strong and durable

 Examples: marble, quartize and slate

 Properties of Building stones:

1. Structure
2. Texture
3. Appearance and color
4. Porosity
5. Absorption
6. Strength
7. Density
8. Toughness:
9. Abrasion Resistance:
10. Permeability:
11. Heat resistance:
12. Electrical Conductivity:
13. Seasoning Qualities:
14. Facility of working:
Important building stones available in
Bangladesh and their uses:
 Uses

 Uses of different varieties of stones for various

Engineering Constructions:

 Chief requirements of good building stones: