Types of Rocks, Stone, and Ceramics for Construction

Earth's Crust

Hard outer surface of the earth

Rust

A reddish-brown material that...

Wedges

Objects with a triangular...

Temper

An additive that increases the...

Crush

Press or break into small...

Flux

An additive that reduces the melting...

Breakwaters

Walls built from the...

Metamorphic

Rock transformed by...

Igneous

Rock formed from magma...

Exothermic

Producing heat

Stone Blocks

Quarrying, processing: cutting, shaping, polishing. Aggregates: cleaning, crushing, sorting. Aggregates that come from rivers are called river rock. Crushed rock has irregular edges that provide more friction. Natural stone: limestone, marble, granite, slate, tuff. Stone binders: in construction plaster lime and cement are used as binders to hold other materials together. Plaster, lime, cement, mortars: hydraulic and non-hydraulic mortars. Artificial stone: can be manufactured with binders and various materials, such as fibre, gravel, and sand. Concrete: is a mixture of gravel, sand, water, and cement that sets to form a rock-like material. Fibre cement, Hempcrete bricks, terrazzo. Coarse ceramics: types: terracotta - is made with ordinary clay that is usually a matte red color. It is hard, rough, and fragile. Earthenware: is made from a mixture of white clay, silica, and feldspar. It is fine and smooth as well as hard. Refractory ceramics: are made with baked clay and metal oxides. They can resist temperatures up to 3000C. Fine ceramics: types: stoneware - which is made from refractory clay, has a glass-like appearance. It is very compactable and hard enough to scratch glass. Porcelain: is made with a special white clay called kaolin. It is transparent, translucent compact acid-resistant and hard enough to scratch glass. Glass forming techniques: automatic blow molding - bottles, jars, bulbs, glasses. Glass casting - ashtrays, containers, bottles, glass bricks for construction. Stretching - plate glass between 2mm and 3mm thick to make windows, windscreens, and mirrors. Floating: plate glass between 3mm and 18mm thick. Calendering and lamination - safety glass. (laminated glass)