Stones


 * Stones are one of the most lasting materials known by men. They have been used for construction, art and other purposes since prehistoric age. They are basically divided into three big families: igneous (volcanic), metamorphic and sedimentary. Then, each one of them is specifically named and classified according to their particular properties, such as hardness, geologic formation, texture, permeability, and so on. Even when it takes a lot of effort to carry them from the quarry to the building place, and also to cut it and sculpt it into their final form, the truth is that stones are one of the favorite materials in the construction area (since Paleolithic period until the modern times), because of their adaptability, durability, and the fact that they can be used in their natural state, with almost no modifications at all. Nowadays, stones are used in facades, arches, mosaics, walls, floors, foundations, riverbeds of gullies, and many more works. **


 * As we`ve said previously, stones have been used since ancient times for construction. There is only one way to work with them efficiently and it is in conjunction with mortar (it was not used in ancient Mesopotamia, so they had to build the same structures over and over again). And still, when it comes to bonding, mortar is barely needed. When the prime matter is still in the quarry, is divided in two groups: ashlar masonry and rubble. The first one is the group of the regularly cut stones, and the second one is the group of the mortar-bounded broken stones. However, this material also presents disadvantages: it is difficult to cut and transport, it`s expensive, weak in tension and quite unstable with loads pushing in angles. **