Course Instructor

Md Abu Hashnat Badsha

 Building Stones
Definition:

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.
Properties of Minerals:
Minerals can be easily identified by the following properties:

 Streak and Color

 Cleavage and Fracture
 Hardness
 Luster
 Structure
 Specific Gravity
 Magnetism
 Association
Principal Stone Forming Minerals

The following are the principles stone forming minerals:

1. Feldspar 2. Silica
3. Micas 4. Amphibole
5. Pyroxene 6. Olivine
7. Calcite 8. Dolomite
9. Magnesite 10. Garoet
11. Asbestos 12. Iron oxide
Feldspar:
Contains silica, Alumina, Potassium, Sodium or Calcium.

Generally feldspar are 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.
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.

Amphibole
Also known as Hornblende. This is complex silicate of sodium,
calcium, magnesium, iron and alumina.
Pyroxene:
Also known as Augite. It is a complex silicate of calcium,
magnesium, iron and aluminum.

Olivine:
It is composed of magnesium, iron and silica.

Calcite:
It is calcium carbonate. It has a color varying from white to grey
Dolomite:
It is a calcium magnesium carbonate. It is harder than calcite.

Magnesite:
It is magnesium carbonate. It has a color white or grey.

Garoet:
It is a complex lime-alumina or magnesia alumina silicate.
Asbestos:
This is a fibrous mineral and is composed of silicates of calcium and
magnesium. This also contains iron oxide and alumina.

Iron Oxide:
There are three types of iron oxides are:

 Hematite
 Limonite
 Magnetite
Micas:

Complex silicates of potassium, aluminum, silica,

magnesium and iron.

Micas are two types:

 Muscovite
It disintegrates very rapidly, hence a source of weakness is
present in building stones.

 Biotite
Structure is foliated, moderately hard.
 Classification of Stones

Geologically stones are classified into three categories:

 Igneous Stones
 Sedimentary Stones
 Metamorphic 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, quartzite and slate
Properties of Building Stones
1. Structure 2. Toughness
3. Texture 4. Abrasion Resistance
5. Appearance and Color 6. Permeability
7. Porosity 8. Heat Resistance
9. Absorption 10. Electrical Conductivity
11. Strength 12. Seasoning Qualities
13. Density 14. Facility of Working
Important Building Stones Available in Bangladesh

1. Granite 2. Trap
3. Basalt 4. Sandstone
5. Limestone 6. Shale
7. Gneiss 7. Schist
9. Laterite 8. Quartz
11. Slate 12. Marbles
Uses of Different Varieties of Stones for Various
Engineering Construction
Paving of Roads: Granite, Gneiss, Trap and Slate
Building Floors: Sandstone, Granite and Marble
Roofing: Slate
Rubble-Masonry: Granite, Trap, Basalt and Sandstone
Superstructures: Granite, Trap, Laterite and Quartzite
Arches and Curving: Granite and Marble
Ballast: Granite, Trap and Quartzite
Bed-Block: Granite and Quartzite
Bridges: Granite and Slate
Dam Construction: Granite and Trap
Damp-Proof Course: Slate and Granite
Lintels: Granite
Marine Structures: (Sea Wall, Light House, etc.) Granite
Mill Stone and Grinding Stones: Course Grained Sandstone
Ornamental Works: Marble
Name of the Quarries in Bangladesh
The important Building Stones are quarried from the
following quarries:

Limestone: Sylhet, Cox’s Bazar, Sent Martin Island

Sandstone: Sitakundu, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar
Granite: Sylhet, Chittagong
Trap and Basalt: Sylhet
Laterite: Sylhet, Chittagong Hill Tracts
Quartzite: Cox’s Bazar
Slate: Sylhet
Chief Requirements of Building Stones
The following are the chief requirements of the good
Building Stones:

1. Strength
2. Density
3. Durability
4. Facility of Working (Dressing and Polishing)
5. Cost
Artificial Stones:
When the crushed stones and cement are cast by automatic
machine or manually to produce a stone in a desire
strength and shape then it is called Artificial Stones.

Advantages of artificial stones:

 It can be easily moulded to suit ornamental works

 Strength can be controlled by proportioning the ingredients
 It can be cast to any desired size and shape
Important Varieties of Artificial Stones:

 Mosaic Stones
 Ransome Stones
 Victoria Stones
 Aggregate Stones
 Bricks
Thank You