Stone is one of the oldest construction materials. It is popular since ancient times. In ancient times, stable structures are made of stones.
Due to the long-lasting properties of stone, it was popular in old civilizations.
Even in modern construction, stone has its own place in the construction industry.
Apart from higher durability, stones have a unique appearance which makes them superior construction material.
Let us talk about the types of stones used in the construction.
I have listed various types of stones used in the field of construction.
- Granite Stone
- Syenite Stone
- Pumice Stone
- Basalt Stone
- Sand stone Stone
- Shale Stone
- Lime stone
- Marble Stone
- Quartzite Stone
- Gneiss Stone
Table of Contents
1. Granite Stone
Granite is a very hard, durable, and weather-resistant rock material. It is a coarse-grained, light-colored igneous rock composed mainly of feldspars and quartz containing a minor quantity of mica and amphibole minerals.
2. Syenite Stone
Syenite is an ingenious rock of light color having a large crystalline structure. Its texture looks like granite. Syenite is composed of minerals like orthoclase, plagioclase, hornblende, muscovite, and biotite.
It does not contain quartz. Due to the absence of quartz, it is a sub-acidic type of rock. Crushing strength varies from 90 MPa to 150 MPa.
It is utilized for the construction of road pavements, external facings of building walls, interior decorative purposes, kitchen countertops, etc.
3. Pumice Stone
Pumice is formed during the rapid cooling and solidification of molten lava. It is like a sponge lightweight aggregate. The external surface of the pumice is rough. It is a fine-grained rock.
Pumice is composed of acid lavas but the specific composition of pumice is not known.
The specific gravity of pumice is low that is why it can float on water.
Pumice is utilized in light concrete slabs for protection and it is additionally utilized as a polishing stone.
4. Basalt Stone
It is a melanocratic (dark-colored) rock with a massive crystalline structure. Melanocratic refers to dark-colored rock.
Basalt is a fine-grained rock with a monocrystalline and aphanitic texture. You can not identify the composition with naked eyes due to its fine-grained structure.
Because of its dark color, it is assumed that basalt may be composed of dark-colored minerals like plagioclase, augite, magnetite, etc. Basalt is resistant to corrosion and high temperatures.
Basalt is utilized as concrete aggregates, road base, railroad ballast, pavement aggregates, etc.
5. Sand Stone
Sandstone is a type of rock. It entirely consists of quartz grains of medium size which are cemented together by means of siliceous materials.
It is a compact, hard, homogeneous, medium-grained, and non-crystalline rock.
It is a good building stone and can be utilized in different areas of the building. It is also used as road material.
6. Shale Stone
It is a fine-grained rock containing clay-sized particles between 50 percent to percent of the total volume of rock.
Shale is composed of quartz grains of medium size, cemented together by means of siliceous materials.
Shale is normally utilized as a component in the production of cement, as aggregates for road construction, and as a component for bricks and tiles manufacturing.
7. Limestone
It is a hard, homogeneous, & nanocrystalline rock, consisting of a larger part of calcareous materials like calcium carbonate in its composition.
Limestone is a fine-grained rock. Other than calcium carbonate, minerals like clay & quartz are present in it. It is a sedimentary rock.
It is generally used as a raw material in the cement industry, lime manufacturing, flooring tiles, etc.
8. Marble
Marble is a very popular building stone. It is a metamorphic rock. It is mainly composed of calcite or dolomite crystals. Marble is a coarse and crystalline rock. Marble is available in a variety of colors. It is a strong and durable rock. Marble’s color varies from purest white to black.
9. Quartzite Stone
This type of stone is very popular in modern construction. Quartzite was obtained from a parent rock of quartz-rich sandstone. It is a hard and sugary textured metamorphic rock.
Due to its hardness and angular shape, is often used to cover walls as a decorative material, for flooring, stair steps, etc.
10. Gneiss Stone
Gneiss is a rock created by metamorphism, in which a sedimentary or igneous rock has been deeply buried & subjected to temperatures & pressures. It is a rock in which the particle size is medium to coarse.
The appearance of the gneiss rock is like bands on it. This is due to less than 50 % of the minerals being aligned in thin and foliated layers. It is utilized as an ornamental stone for decorative purposes, flooring, etc.
