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The Canadian Dimension Stone Industry
- Introduction
- Canadian Industry
- How Stone Is Quarried
- How Stone Products Are Fabricated
- Marketing of Dimension Stone
- Links
Dimensional
stone, or architectural stone, includes many different rock types and
refers to any stone that is capable of being quarried in large blocks
and subsequently processed into slabs, blocks, flagstones, etc. Varying
quantities of dimension stone are used in a variety of architectural applications.
Natural stone is used for exterior cladding on office buildings, as paving
stone for sidewalks and courtyards, for curbing and retaining walls, and
as tiles for interior floors, stairs and walls. Stone is used for cemetery
monuments and other memorial applications. Some irregular blocks of stone
are used in landscaping applications (waterfalls, gardens).
In general, the most common types of rock used as dimension stone include granite, limestone, sandstone, marble and slate. The commercial term “granite” includes coarse crystalline rocks that are free from impurities and are capable of being cut and polished. Commercial “marble” is a fine-to-coarse crystalline rock composed primarily of calcite or dolomite that is durable and capable of taking a high polish. Limestones and sandstones are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that are quarried for their consistent textures and colours and general workability. Slate is a hard, layered rock that is mostly used for roofing tiles and as landscaping stone.
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| Last Updated: 2005-11-08 |  |
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