Basalt stone, sometimes called traps, is widely utilised in road construction, as aggregate in concrete manufacture, and for rubble masonry works such as bridge piers, river barriers, and dams. The basalt stone structure is compact. It is medium to fine-grained. The compressive strength of this stone ranges from 200MPa to 350MPa, and the weight ranges from 18 KN/m3 to 29 KN/m3. Basalt is weather resistant, impervious to moisture, exceedingly hard, and difficult to fashion in delicate forms. Basalt ranges from dark grey colour to black colour.
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2. Granite
Granite is used for constructing bridge piers, dams, curbs, retaining walls, stone columns, coarse aggregate in concrete, ballast for trains, damp-proof course and outside cladding of buildings, and monumental uses. Granite has a crystalline structure and grain sizes ranging from fine to coarse.
It is extremely tough and resilient, with compression strengths ranging from 100MPa to 250MPa. It also has low absorption, porosity, and good cold and weathering resistance but poor fire resistance. It takes polish nicely and ranges in hue from pale grey to pink. Polished granite may be used for table tops, column cladding, and wall cladding.
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3. Sandstone
It’s also used in masonry projects like dams, bridge piers, and river barriers. It is made up of quartz and feldspar and comes in various hues, including white, grey, red, buff, brown, yellow, and dark grey. The compressive strength ranges from 20 to 170 MPa, while the specific gravity extends from 1.85 to 2.7. It should be noted that sandstone weathering renders it unsuitable for building construction.
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4. Slate
Slate’s construction capabilities vary greatly depending on the sheets’ thickness and the rock’s colour. It is used to construct roofing tiles, slabs, and pavements. It is made up of quartz, mica, and clay minerals. Slate’s compression strength ranges from 100MPa to 200MPa, and its hue ranges from dark grey to greenish grey, purple grey, and black. Slate has a fine-grained structure with a specific gravity of 2.6 to 2.7.
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5. Limestone
All limestones are unsuitable for building purposes. Undesirable kinds are clay-rich or incredibly soft, making them unsuitable for building. Dense, compact, and fine-textured varieties free of voids and fractures may be treated and get a very fine polish.
Limestone is used for flooring, roofing, pavements, and cement foundation material. Limestones should not be used as face stones in locations where the air is contaminated with industrial fumes and in coastal areas where salty breeze might harm them.
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6. Laterite
Laterite is a building stone; however, its outside must be plastered. It has a high iron oxide content and is readily cut into chunks. Laterite comes in soft and hard types, and its compressive strength ranges between 1.9 and 2.3 MPa, with seasoning increasing its strength. Laterite can be brownish, red, yellow, brown, or grey in hue.
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7. Marble
It is utilised in columns, floors, and stairs for facing and decorative work. The compressive strength of marble ranges from 70MPa to 75MPa. Marble stones are fairly robust, have a homogeneous texture, are not porous, and polish well. It is readily cut and sculpted into various forms. Marble comes in a variety of hues, including white and pink.
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8. Gneiss
This stone is utilised for small construction since harmful elements in its components make it unsuitable for building construction. On the other hand, hard gneiss stone may be used in buildings. The compression strength varies between 50 and 200 MPa. It contains fine to coarse grains and can be light grey, pink, purple, greenish grey, or dark grey in hue.
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9. Quartzite
It is used in building blocks, slabs, and as aggregate in concrete. Quartzite has a fine to coarse grain structure that is predominantly granular and branded, and it is mainly made of feldspar and mica in minor amounts. The crushing strength ranges from 50 to 300 MPa. It comes in various hues, including white, grey, and yellowish.
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10. Travertine
It’s commonly used in pavements, garden walkways, and courtyards. It has a specific gravity of 1.68 and a compressive strength ranging from 80 to 120 MPa. The stone’s surface has pitted pits and troughs, indicating a porous surface and concentric structure. It may be polished to a smooth, lustrous finish and is available in a range of hues from grey to coral red.
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FAQs
What are the three categories of rock classification?
Rocks are classified into three types: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
What is the strongest type of stone?
The hardest stone is a diamond.
Which is the most pliable stone?
The softest is talc. Examples of intermediate minerals include gypsum, calcite, fluorite, apatite, orthoclase feldspar, quartz, topaz, and corundum.
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