Stone masonry is a traditional form of construction in this country. However, in view of the ready availability of bricks and ease of constructing brick-work, the use of stone masonry is not very common.
Construction of stone masonry requires skilled masons, trained in dressing stones. Large irregular shaped stones have to be handled as compared to conveniently sized bricks or blocks. In hilly areas where stones are easily available and for prestigious buildings where the architects desire an elevation with stones, this type of masonry is still popular.
The common types of stone available in the country are granite, sandstone, limestone, basalt, marble etc. The strength of the building stone to be used shall be adequate to carry the imposed load. The crushing strengths of some of the types of stones are given below :
Type of stone Crushing Strength in N/mm2(Kg/cm2)
Granite 100 (1000)
Sandstone 30 (300)
Limestone 20 (200)
Basalt 40 (400)
Marble 50 (500)
The stones used in the masonry shall be hard, sound, free from cavities, cracks, flaws, sandholes, veins, patches of soft or loose materials etc. The stone should not contain deleterious material like iron oxide and organic impurities. All stones should be wetted before use.
In selecting stones, the situation where this material is to be used has to be considered. The table below gives the recommended use of common types of stones :
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