BUILDING MATERIALS

STONES
STONE AS BUILDING MATERIAL
In some places like hilly areas, stone is a cheaper
option
Stones have been used since ancient times as building
material.
Old roads were paved with stone.
Old monuments such as Taj mahal and many temples
and palaces were made from stones.
Stones are more permanent than most building
materials.
Stone is good choice for foundations likely to be
flooded.
Submerged bricks may breakdown but submerged
stones remain stable.
Today stones form an important source of aggregates
and are also used in ornamental work.
INTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

The earth is divided into

three main layers:
Crust

Mantle

Core
 Crust
Continental crust (25-40 km )
Oceanic crust (~6 km)

Mantle
Upper mantle (650 km)
Lower mantle (2235 km)

Core
Outer core: liquid (2270 km)
Inner core: solid (1216 km)
THE CRUST
The crust is much thinner than any of the other layers, and
is composed of the least dense calcium (Ca) and sodium
(Na) aluminum-silicate minerals. Being relatively cold, the
crust is rocky and brittle , so it can fracture in earthquakes
.

The shell of the earth, the crust, can be said to have two
different thicknesses.

Under the oceans, it is relatively thin. It varies in thickness

from 5 to 8 km. Under the land masses, it is relatively
thick. The thickness of the continental crust varies from 10
to 65 km.

The eggshell analogy for the crust is not an exaggeration. It

is paper thin compared with the radius of the earth which
is approximately 6400 km.
ROCKS -DEFINITION
It is the portion of the earths crust having no definite
shape and structure
Geologist define rock as aggregates or mass composed of
one or more minerals.

Monomineralic Rocks: having only one mineral

Polymineralic Rocks: having several minerals

STONES -DEFINITION
a natural, hard substance formed from minerals
and earth material which are present in rocks.
The stone is always obtained from rocks.
MINERALS

Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic

substances having definite chemical composition
and molecular structure.

As the basic constituent of rock, minerals control

much of rock behavior. Some minerals are very
strong and resistant to deterioration and produce
rock with similar properties, while others are
much softer and produce weaker rock.
THE GEOLOGICAL CYCLE: ROCK FORMATION

Geological cycle includes many processes acting

simultaneously.
The most important of these begin with
molten magma from within the earth forming into
rock,
then continue with rocks being broken down into soil,
and that soil being converted back into rock.
 GEOLOGICAL CYLCE

The geologic cycle. All rocks begin as igneous, but later can
be transformed via weathering into sedimentary rocks, or
via heat and pressure, into metamorphic rocks.
http://www.thaigem.com/gemopedia/gemstone-formation.asp
CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS

Geological Classification
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic

Physical Classification
Stratified
Unstratified
Foliated

Chemical Classification
Silicious
Argillaceous
Calcareous
PHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION
Stratified Rocks:
These rocks possess planes of stratification or cleavage. They can
be easily split up along these planes.

Unstratified Rocks:
The structure of these rocks may be crystalline granular or
compact granular.

Foliated Rocks:
These rocks have a tendency to be split up in a definite direction
only.
EXAMPLES

Stratified

Foliated

Unstratified
CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION
Silicious
Silica predomiates
Hard and durable
Eg. Granites, Quartzites, etc.

Argillaceous
Clay predomiates
Dense, compact and soft
Eg. Slates, Laterites, etc.

Calcareous
Calcium Carbonate predomiates
Durability depends upon surrounding atmosphere
Eg. Limestone, Marble, etc.
GEOLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATION
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
IGNEOUS ROCKS
They are formed by cooling and crystallization of
magma (below the Earths surface) or
Lava (above the Earths surface)

volcano
Magma
cools and
solidifies
forming
igneous
rocks

magma
TYPES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS
There are two types of Igneous rocks
Intrusive (also called plutonic rocks): form below
the ground surface from magma coming up from the
mantle into the crust, where they cool slowly,
Extrusive (also called volcanic rocks) arrive at
the ground surface in a molten state, such as through
volcanic eruption. This type of igneous rock cool very
rapidly.
Hypabyssal rocks are formed when consolidation of
magma takes place very close to the earths surface in
the form of smaller sheet like bodies (known as sills
and dikes) that fill cracks inside other rocks.
EXAMPLES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS
Granite is an example of an
Intrusive Igneous Rock
It forms under the Earths
surface from the cooling of
magma leaking up from the
mantle of Earth
Intrusive igneous rocks have
noticeably large crystals and
are usually rough to the touch
unless they are polished
Examples: Kitchen Counters
The Continental Crust of the
Earth is primarily made of
Granite
OTHER EXAMPLES OF INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS
ROCKS:

Gabbro Andesite Diorite

EXAMPLES OF EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS
ROCKS
Basalt is an example
of an Extrusive
Igneous Rock
The Oceanic Crust is
made primarily of
Basalt
Basalt is formed from
lava on the crust of
the Earth.
Because it is formed
on the surface, the
crystals are very fine-
grained
OTHER EXAMPLES OF EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS
ROCKS

Obsidian Scoria

Rhyolite
HYPABYSSAL IGNEOUS ROCK

Lamprophyre Rock
DIKE
A dike is vertical wall-like igneous body that cuts the
bedding of the rock.
It forms where magma squeezes into fractures in the
surrounding rock and cools.
The thickness of the dike may vary from a few
centimeters to a hundred meter or more.

Pegmatite dike cross-cutting basement gneisses

SILL
A sill is a tabular intrusive layer of rock.
The sills are parallel to the layered rock beds, whereas
the dikes are perpendicular to them.
Rising magma follows the path of least resistance. If
the magma can no longer rise, then the path of least
resistance may take it laterally in between the rock
layers.
varies in thickness from a few centimeter to several
hundred meters.
The darker layered diorite sill
in the Limestone flanks of
Mount Gould in Glacier
National Park in Montana

(some 1300 million years old.)

Dolerite sill cutting across sandstone
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Rocks produced by the settling/deposition, compaction

and cementation of sediments

Limestone Sandstone Gritstone

Conglomerate Shale
Sedimentary rocks are rocks
formed when particles of
sediment build up and are
cemented together by
the effect of pressure and
minerals.

Fragments washed to the sea

Rocks are broken

up by weathering
Sea
Sedimentary
rocks
 TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Clastic(physical weathering)
Chemical
Organic
CLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Clastic Sedimentary
Rocks are formed from
mechanical weathering
debris
Mechanical weathering
takes place when rocks Breccia Conglomerate
are broken down
without any change in
the chemical nature of
the rocks
breccia, conglomerate,
sandstone and shale are
some examples
Sandstone Shale
CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Chemical
Sedimentary Rocks
form when dissolved
materials precipitate
from solution
Example : Halite that Halite
forms from dried up
saltwater lakes
Rock salt (Halite) and
some limestone are
examples of Chemical
Sed. Rocks
Limestone
ORGANIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Organic Sedimentary
Rocks form from the
dead plants and animals
and their debris.
Coal and fossiliferous
limestone are examples
of organic sed. rock Fossiliferous Limestone
An example of
fossiliferous limestone
has sea shells in it
Organic material comes
from anything living or
has lived before

Coal
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Metamorphic rocks are formed by the effect of heat,
pressure and chemical process on existing rocks.

Exposure to extreme conditions alters the minerals,

texture and chemical composition of the rocks.
Metamorphic rocks are formed by the effect of heat
and pressure on existing rocks.

Pressure from surface

rocks

metamorphic
rock
forming
here

Heat from magma

METAMORPHIC ROCKS CAN FORM
FROM IGNEOUS, SEDIMENTARY OR OTHER METAMORPHIC
ROCKS.
EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANIC ACTIVITY
CAUSE HEAT AND PRESSURE TO ACT ON
ROCKS.
SOMETIMES TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ARE
GREAT ENOUGH TO MELT ROCK, FORMING MAGMA.
SOMETIMES PRESSURE FLATTENS MINERAL GRAINS IN
ROCKS WITHOUT MELTING THEM.
AS PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE CONTINUE TO INCREASE
OVER TIME, ONE TYPE OF ROCK CAN CHANGE INTO SEVERAL
DIFFERENT METAMORPHIC ROCKS.
TYPES OF METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Thereare two basic types of
metamorphic rocks based on their
texture:
Non-foliated
Foliated
FOLIATED TEXTURE:

Mineral grains flatten and line up in parallel

layers or bands.
NONFOLIATED TEXTURE:

mineral grains grow and rearrange but do not form

layers.
FOLIATED ROCKS
Original Rock: shale (sedimentary)
Metamorphic Rock: slate
FOLIATED ROCK
Original Rock: granite (igneous)
Metamorphic Rock: gneiss
 NONFOLIATED ROCK
Original Rock: limestone (sedimentary)
Metamorphic Rock: marble
 NONFOLIATED ROCK
Original Rock: sandstone (sedimentary)
Metamorphic Rock: quartzite (melted sand)