Building Construction and Materials

Stones
By
Pragati Chaudhary
Lakshya Bahuguna
Vidhi Fauzdar
 Rock and Stone
Same or
different?
Rocks and Stones are considered the same thing most of
the times.
Rock is stone in its purest form — without any
smoothing, cutting, or shaping.
Stone is the term used when rock is smoothed, chipped,
or textured for landscaping or building..
 The Beauty and Strength Of
Stone
 Because of its superior strength, beauty, and longevity, stone has become a
readily available, natural building material for thousands of years. Stone
structures appeal to us psychologically because they represent security and
provide a sense of protection. Stone is also one of the oldest construction
materials known to man.
 Stones are simple, elegant, and, in the long-term,
very cost effective to use for almost all building
applications. Asphalt roads crumble and pit,
forming holes that enlarge and cause potholes,
which require constant maintenance. But, roads
made from stone and brick, such as the famous
cobblestone streets of Bath, England built
during the Roman inhabitation before A.D. 407,
have withstood countless travelers in many Image Source: alamy.com

forms of vehicles, including horses, carriages,

and the modern-day automobile.
 Types Of Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks
 Sedimentary Rocks
 Sedimentary rock is formed when
remains of other rocks and biological
activities, such as leaf and animal
matter decomposition, known as
diagenesis, are compressed.
Image Source: nationalgeography.org

 Sedimentary rock forms a crust over

the igneous and metamorphic rock
and is much softer and easier to
build with. These blocks are perfect
for building walls and other similar
structures requiring uniformity of Image Source: nationalgeography.org

stone.
 Igneous Rocks
 Igneous rocks form when molten
materials cool and solidify, usually
below the Earth’s surface. These are
known as intrusive igneous rocks.
Image Source: nationalgeography.org

 Alternately, some igneous rocks form

above the surface when lava cools and
hardens, creating new land surface.
These are called extrusive igneous
rocks.
Image Source: nationalgeography.org
 Metamorphic Rocks
 Metamorphic rocks form when rocks are
subjected to high heat, high pressure, hot
mineral-rich fluids or, more commonly, some
combination of these factors.
Image Source: nationalgeography.org

 Metamorphic rocks started out as some

other type of rock, but have been
substantially changed from their original
igneous, sedimentary, or earlier
metamorphic form.
Image Source: nationalgeography.org
 Some
Stones
In
Construction
 Sandstone
 Sandstone is by far the mason’s choice
because of how easy it is to use. You can carve
it, chip it, or chisel it into whatever shape you
need it molded into. Sandstone is unique
among sedimentary rock because it naturally
takes on a myriad of colors, depending on the Image Source: Taj Lakefront, Bhopal
location of where it is quarried.

Quarrying is the term used to define the actual

digging and harvesting of rock and usually takes
place in mountainous areas where entire
mountains are cut apart using heavy
construction machinery designed for moving
and lifting heavy loads of rock. Image Source: nationalgeography.org
 limestone
 Limestone is a denser form of sandstone and
has been the material of choice since a long
time. Prior to the early 1900s, when concrete
block become the standard, limestone’s
hardness and durability made it used Image Source: eartheclipse.com

extensively. The quarried limestone

maintained its integrity and strength.

 Because of how and where limestone

forms, imprints of things like leaves
and prehistoric seashells are often
found during dotting the surfaces of
the stone.
Image Source: 123rf.com
 MARBLE
 Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of
recrystallized carbonate minerals, most
commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is
typically not foliated (layered), although
there are exceptions. Image Source: ITC Rajputana, Jaipur

 In geology, the term marble refers to

metamorphosed limestone, but its use in 
stonemasonry more broadly encompasses
unmetamorphosed limestone.[1] Marble is
commonly used for sculpture and as a 
building material.
Image Source: Baswada, Rajasthan
 granite
 Granite is a coarse-grained, igneous rock,
which makes it much harder and denser than
sedimentary rock. The most common color
for granite is a dark, speckled gray, but Image Source: Home stairs, Indore

because of its high content of feldspar and

quartz, it also takes on dark blue, greenish,
and pink tones.
Feldspar and Quartz are natural minerals
that affect the coloration of stone

Image Source: indiamart.com Image Source: Kitchen countertop, Indore

Shale & slate
 Shale and slate are soft-layered stones used
for veneer on more durable manufactured
stone, such as concrete block. These stones
are not good as primary building stones
because they tend to break apart under Image Source: pinterest.com

pressure and do not maintain their strength.

 Shale and slate are good to use as

garden stepping stones and interior
floor tiles in areas without high traffic
flow.

Image Source: pinterest.com

 basalt
 Basalt is another commonly used stone
classified as an extrusive stone and has
the same properties of granite but
without the grain. It forms from rapidly
cooled volcanic eruptions. Crushed Image Source: geology.com

basalt is used as an aggregate in asphalt

and is used by railways as ballast.

Ballast is a sort of coarse gravel laid to form a

bed for streets and railroads
Image Source: railroadfastenings.com
Our Exploration:
 Some
Stones (Marbles)
From
Kishangarh,
Jaipur
Cost: 3000 rupees per square feet
Cost: 2600 rupees per square feet
Cost: 2500 rupees per square feet
Cost: 2000 rupees per square feet
Cost: 1200 rupees per square feet
Cost: 800 rupees per square feet
 Thank
You
Text from: “Building with Rocks and Stone” by Brenda Flynn