Stones & Rocks

Stones

Natural stones are used in different ways, environments and settings.  They are therefore exposed to a wide range of environmental, chemical and physical stresses that may have an adverse impact on their durability and aesthetics.  It is important that they are suitable for the intended use.  Petrographic examination could help identify the stones and the presence if any, of inherent deleterious constituents and/or features.  Petrographic examination could help identify problems (discoloration, delamination, crack, etc.) observed with natural stone flooring, paving slabs, cladding, roofing slate, old and new building stones, kitchen worktops etc..  Stone Petrography is extremely important in restoration and conservation projects were stone matching are critical, or when sources of stone discoloration and causes of failure need investigating.

Rocks

Rocks are versatile natural materials that can be complex in term of mineralogy, composition and intrinsic properties that can seriously affect their suitability for various projects.  They are commonly used to produce aggregates, natural and artificial stones and amour stones for the construction industry, or mined for their ore content.  The in-situ properties of rocks are also very important in engineering projects where their properties are fundamental in supporting small to large engineering structures.  Identifying rocks and their properties allows engineers to choose or design the right equipments for jobs such as constructing tunnels through rock masses.  The quality of rocks must be studied to ensure that their properties are known and that they do not exhibit any features that could be of concern to a specific project.