Rocks as construction Material Presented by Randhir Kumar(14CE84) Rohan Kumar

(14CE86) Sanjeev Kumar(14CE90) Haldia Institute of Technology

2. Outlines  Introduction  Quality of building stone  Types of Rock  Rock

Foundations  Railway Ballast  Concrete Aggregates  Road metal  Flooring and
Roofing  Historical Rock structure  Conclusions  Questions

3. INTRODUCTION • Rock is a solid cumulative of minerals located in the earth’s

lithosphere.They have been used by mankind through history as a basic construction
material. • There are huge variation within each type of rocks ,depending on their
engineering properties rocks have been used in various construction works. • Rocks
are using for making bricks, fire places and kitchen counter of our
homes,dams,buildings,railway ballast,pavement material,road metal,concrete
aggregates etc. • Rocks are extremely important in terms of their stability and
strength as a geological material on which construction foundation are made.

4. Quality of building stone  Strength:-Strength of many building stones much

higher than the loads they are often supposed to withstand in ordinary type of
building construction.  Engineering Classification of Rocks Class Type description
Compressive strength(kg/cm2) A B C D E Very high strength High strength Medium
strength Low strength Very low strength More than 2240 1120-2240 560-1120 280-560
Less than 280

5. Quality of building stone  Durability:- Stones should possess a natural

durability to withstand the destructive effects of various agents continuously
operating on them.  Hardness:-The stone used in floors,pavements and aprons of
bridges should be able to resist the abrasive forces caused due to wear and
friction. Hardness of stones tested by Mohr’s scale of hardness In the laboratory
and in the field by scraping the surface with a sharp knife. A hard stone will not
show any scratches.

6. Quality of building stone  Specific Gravity and Weight:-The stones used for
the construction of dams, weirs, barrages, docks and harbours should be of a
heavier variety. In case of dams and roof coverings, lighter varieties of stones
are preferred. The specific gravity of good building stones should be between 2.4
and 2.8.  Cost:-An important consideration in the selection of building stone is
its cost. the cost of a stone depends upon the ease with which it can be quarried
out, the proximity of the quarry to the place of use, and the transportation
facilities available.  Texture:- Good building stone should be homogeneous in
structure.

7. Quality of building stone  Porosity and Absorption:-A good stone should not
be porous. More porous building stones are unsuitable for use in construction
especially for exposed surfaces of structures.  Appearance:-Appearance is a
primary factor of building stone used for face work , it’s color and ability to
receive polish is an important factor.  Toughness:-Building stones should also be
tough enough to withstand stresses developed due to vibrations of machinery and
moving loads over them.

8. Type of Rocks  Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic Rocks

9. Igneous Rock These Rocks are formed from an originally hot molten material
through the process of cooling and crystallization.Silica is the dominant
constituent of the Igneous rock.  Many of igneous rocks are extensively used as
materials for construction . Due to very high crushing strength Granites,Syenites
and Dolerite are used most of construction works , Basalt and other dark coloured
igneous rock are not used in Residential buildings but these are much useful for
foundation and roadstones.  Igneous rocks are typically impervious ,hard and
strong form very strong foundations for dams and reservoir . They can be also used
as wall and roof rocks in tunnels.Because of their low porosity they can’t be
expected to hold oil and ground water reserves.

10. Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the
deposition and subsequent cementation of that material at the Earth's surface and
within bodies of water. out of classified rocks,75% are sedimentary rocks on earth
surface. Sedimentary rocks have a wide variety of uses, making them extremely
important. Virtually All buildings and public structures require sedimentary rock
in their construction. The cement,sand and gravel used to make concrete, iron ore
for steel, bauxite used in making aluminum, brick and tile, cut stone used for
facing large buildings, and even asphalt for the roads. Rock gypsum can be ground
up and used in a number of ways, including plaster and wall board.

11. Limestone is the primary source material for manufacturing of Portland cement
and in construction practice they are used as building stone and road stone.
Sandstones are most commonly used as materials of construction. They are used as
building stones, pavement stones, road stones and also a source material for
concrete. Shale is one of the major types of sedimentary rocks and this is the
most abundant sedimentary rock. Shales are variously used for manufacture of bricks
and tiles and it is also used as an additive material in manufacturing of cement.

12. Metamorphic Rocks A metamorphic rock is a type of rock which has been changed
by extreme heat and pressure ,it is created by the physical or chemical alteration
by heat and pressure of an existing igneous or sedimentary material into a denser
form.  Metamorphic rocks are used for roofing material, decorative gardening
stone, the base for snooker tables, building material, sculpture material and
paving material.  Marble and quartizite are important metamorphic rock which are
extensively used,marble is mostly used a ornamental stone in costly construction
and Quartzites are extensively used in building and Road construction.Rock
Foundation Rock foundations are always prefered because rocks offer a number of
advantages compare with soil in terms of stability and durability. Even the weakest
rock is better in strength and reliability compared to good soils. Rocks such as
limestone, granite, sandstone, shale and hard solid chalk have a high bearing
capacity which are extensively used for foundation

14. Railway Ballast Railway Ballast is the foundation of railway track and provide
just below the sleepers. The loads from the wheels of trains ultimately come on the
ballast through rails and sleepers.  The stone to be used as railway ballast
should be hard, tough nonporous and should not decompose when exposed to air and
light. Igneous rocks like quartzite and granite forms the excellent ballast
materials. Functions of Ballast a) To provide firm and level bed for the sleepers
to rest on b) To allow for maintaining correct track level without disturbing the
rail road bed c) To drain off the water quickly and to keep the sleepers in dry
conditions d) To discourage the growth of vegetation e) To protect the surface of
formation and to form an elastic bed f) To hold the sleepers in position during the
passage of trains g) To transmit and distribute the loads from the sleepers to the
formation h) To provide lateral stability to the track as a whole

15. Types of Railway Ballast Sand ballast Sand ballast is used primarily for cast
iron (CI) pots. It is also used with wooden and steel trough sleepers in areas
where traffic density is very low. Coarse sand is preferred in comparison to fine
sand. It has good drainage properties, but has the drawback of blowing off because
of being light. It also causes excessive wear of the rail top and the moving parts
of the rolling stock. Moorum ballast The decomposition of laterite results in the
formation of moorum. It is red, and sometimes yellow, in colour. The moorum ballast
is normally used as the initial ballast in new constructions and also as sub-
ballast. As it prevents water from percolating into the formation, it is also used
as a blanketing material for black cotton soil. Coal ash or cinder This type of
ballast is normally used in yards and sidings or as the initial ballast in new
constructions since it is very cheap and easily available. It is harmful for steel
sleepers and fittings because of its corrosive action. Broken stone ballast This
type of ballast is used the most on Indian Railways. A good stone ballast is
generally procured from hard stones such as granite, quartzite, and hard trap. The
quality of stone should be such that neither is it porous nor does it flake off due
to the vagaries of weather. Good quality hard stone is normally used for high-speed
tracks. This type of ballast works out to be economical in the long run.

16. Rocks in Concrete aggregate Concrete is made by mixing fine aggregate,coarse

aggregate,cement and water. The raw material for making cement is also obtained by
rocks. Aggregates are used in concrete for very specific purposes. The use of
coarse and fine aggregates in concrete provides significant economic benefits for
the final cost of concrete in place. Aggregates typically make up about 60 to 75
percent of the volume of a concrete mixture, and as they are the least expensive of
the materials used in concrete, the economic impact is measurable.

17. Road metal  The materials such as crushed rock, broken stone used to construct
a road is known as Road metal.  The greater part of the body of road Is generally
constituted by the aggregates which bears main stress of all the traffic, so it is
essential to select the right type of aggregate material for ensuring stability and
durability of road.  Road metal should posses the following quality. a) Sufficient
hardness and toughness b) Durability at the place of use c) Cementation property d)
Hydrophobic property  Granites,Basalts,Sandstones,limestones etc. are the some
important natural Rocks from which road aggregates are obtained.

18. Flooring and Roofing  Slate is a foliated metamorphic rock that forms from the
metamorphism of shale It is popular for a wide variety of uses such as roofing,
flooring. Slate is useful for roofing, pool tables and floor tile. 
Shale,Marble,mudstone,slate and well packed sandstone are all examples of
impermeable rocks which are extensively used for flooring and roofing material.
Stone are available in plenty across the entire stretch of the country. Many of
these are suitable for providing floors in residential construction. Stones suited
for the purpose should be strong and able to resist abrasion and impact besides
giving a pleasing appearance. Some of the stones which is used for floor
construction are given below. (a) Kota stone (b) Granite (c) Sand stone

19. Types of rocks used on the monument: White Marble(metamorphic rock). Grey, Red
and Yellow Sandstone (sedimentary rocks). Semiprecious stones such as agate,
turquoise, lapis-azuli, coral, onyx, cat's eye, jadeand blood stone.

20. Red Fort is one of most iconic symbol of india.it was made off by massive red
Sandstone

21. Conclusion In all around the world ,stones and rocks were the first building
blocks use to make structures and even today they are the most important source for
building materials after wood. In order to carry out civil engineering projects
safely and successfully, such as constructing road, bridges, tunnels, tanks,
reservoirs and buildings, selection of site is important from the view point of
stability of foundation and rock forming region, their physical nature,
permeability, faults, joints etc. Careful studies bring out the inherent advantage
or disadvantage of a site and such studies go a long way either in reducing or in
increasing the cost of a structure.

22. Thanks
23. Questions??