MIA Ultimate Stone Training Seminar Coming in AugustMarble Institute of America (07/25/06)
Where else can you go to receive instruction from an all-star cast of industry experts on natural stone; learn about growing your countertop market; learn about expanding your business beyond countertops; examine opportunities in restoration; visit two quarries, a fabrication facility, equipment distributor, equipment manufacturer, & stone slab distributor; gain insight from a panel of experts addressing countertop issues; and much more? This seminar is your one opportunity and it is only available from the MIA!
click for more Gov Faces Suit for Plunder in Marble Quarry Philippine Daily Inquirer (07/11/06) ; Bordadora, Norman
The owner of a Philippine
marble quarry has accused Bulacan Gov. Josephine dela Cruz of conspiring with unlawful miners to loot the property of valuable tea rose
marble. Lourdes Pascual, president of the Rosemoor Mining and Development Corporation, claims that dela Cruz has issued small-scale licenses over the years to illegal miners who allegedly quarried
marble from the historic Biak-na-Bato site instead of the locations listed on their permits. Through a spokeswoman, dela Cruz maintains that there is nothing unusual about provincial authorities issuing mining permits, claiming that such permits are sanctioned under the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Pascual filed charges of plunder and economic sabotage against dela Cruz and many of the alleged miners on February 7. Tea rose
marble, a popular variety of stone on the high-end international market, is reported to sell for at least $450 per cubic meter.
US Announces Additional Support in Marble, Granite Sector to Create 20,000 New Jobs in FATA, NWFP PakTribune (07/11/06)
During a visit to a
marble plant in Pakistan on July 10, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker announced that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide additional backing for the country's
Marble and Granite sector working group (SWOG). This additional support will be used by the group to build a training center to increase the capacities of its workforce. In his remarks to representatives of the industrywide SWOG, Crocker said the sector suffers from inefficient mining techniques that waste resources and do not allow for the production of high-quality
marble and granite. As a result, most of the
marble and granite produced in Pakistan is not competitively priced. Crocker also took time to recognize the
marble and granite industry for working together to develop a comprehensive and feasible strategy under USAID support. This strategy outlines a plan to reduce waste from 85 percent to 57 percent and increase product quality. The result should be an increase in revenues from the current $40 million to $2.6 billion by 2015. In addition, more than 20,000 jobs would be created in the FATA and NWFP regions of Pakistan.
Italian Inventor Develops Marble Slab Polishing Machine US Fed News (07/08/06)
Italy's Nicola Montresor has developed a slab-
polishing machine for
marble or stone that includes a fulcrum-mounted rotating head. With simpler operating mechanics than existing equipment, the new device subjects its movable parts to less wear and tear, and "avoids the utilization of the conventional supporting units needed to permit an angular movement along a curved path," which are expensive as well as complex, according to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The invention's unique feature is a holding unit containing numerous motorized spindles, which include
polishing tools or grinders. In the patented model, the holding unit is supported by horizontal shafts on ball bearings.
Red Stone Art Center Hosts Stone Carvers' Exhibit Vail Daily News (CO) (07/08/06)
Sculptors who carved in person at the 9th yearly Stone Carver's Exhibition will be on display at the 10th yearly event, taking place in Redstone, Colo., between July 16 and Sept. 30. Exhibitors will include Colorado sculptors Kathi Caricof, Steve Kentz, Greg Tonozzi, and Madeline Wiener as well as New England sculptor Petro Hul and artists from India and Zimbabwe. The event benefits the nonprofit
Marble Institute of Colorado, which is in its 18th year of sponsoring the stone-carving sessions that draw sculptors from throughout the world. The
marble worksite is located among stands of trees along the Crystal River in
Marble, Colo. Up to 40 participants in the event can be seen carving from
marble blocks that were quarried between 50 and 90 years ago. Colorado Yule
Marble is the stone for the sculpting symposium; it is found in quarries situated high in the town of
Marble, where the rock for the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and many other public buildings was quarried and completed.
click for more The Latest Hit Surface Fabrication Expo 2006 Stone Matrix (07/01/06)
More than 3,000 surface professionals from around the world attended this year's Surface Fabrication & Design Expo, a three-day function held in Las Vegas in March. The event showcased the products and services of almost 140 companies in more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. Thirty brands of surfacing material were on display at the expo, including natural stone products. The expo also featured machinery for the fabrication natural stone products as well as templating, job tracking software, adhesives, abrasives, dust collection equipment, and a number of tools. In addition, the event featured roughly 60 seminars, workshops, and clinics that focused on key issues facing the surface community.
click for more Natural Stone Council Supports Green Building Movement Stone World (06/01/06)
The Natural Stone Council (NSC) plans to promote the benefits of natural stone and provide information on its environmentally friendly qualities to the natural stone, design, construction, and landscape industries in an effort to support the "Green Building Movement." According to John Mattke, chairman of the council's Committee on Sustainability, building and designing with natural stone is good for the environment because it is a natural product, has a long life cycle, is easy to care for and maintain, is recyclable, and has quarry and manufacturing best practices. The NSC has become a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and plans to provide testing and research that supports the group's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which serves as a voluntary national standard and certification program. "Participation in the green movement is right in line with the council's mission to raise the level of awareness and education of natural stone in the North American market," says Duke Pointer, executive director of NSC and member representative to USGBC. Mattke's committee will also form an advisory council of experts on using natural stone in building and landscaping. "Real stone, the world's oldest building material, is enjoying unprecedented growth in both the residential and commercial segments," adds Mattke, who also is president and COO of Cold Spring Granite.
click for more Blue Granite Is a Hit With the Arabs Brazil-Arab News Agency (06/28/06) ; Rubin, Debora
Ferraz Brasil, a Brazilian-based company that sells granite and
marble to domestic markets, began selling to Arab clients in 2002 after participating in a sector fair in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), earlier that same year. Since then, the company's roster of Arab clients has grown to include Algeria, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, with Tunisia set to join the list in the next few months. Arab countries now account for about 10 percent of Ferraz's exports; and the yellow, green, and blue granites are the most popular with customers in the Arab world. There are only two mines of blue granite in the world--one of them controlled by Ferraz Brasil--and it is the blue granite that is especially sought after by the Arab clients. The owner of Ferraz Brasil, Marcelo Ferraz, makes direct sales in some Arab countries and depends upon representatives in others. The UAE is the largest Arab buyer in terms of value, while Algeria is the largest in terms of volume. Ferraz's Web site is in English because the company exports 97 percent of its production, and the market of North America is the biggest purchaser. In order to expand its presence in the Arab market, the company would need to research the market better and find out more about the architects and designers who work with the final product, Ferraz says. He recently launched a new marketing strategy that involves lapidating granites and making jewels with them.
click for more Marble Export Booms in Diyarbakir KurdishInfo.com (06/11/06)
Diyarbakir, Turkey--one of the top exporters of
marble on the planet--has seen its
marble export numbers take off over the past few years, without any aid from the state. In 1996, Diyarbakir produced no
marble and had no
marble forges, according to the Eastern
Marble Cutters Association. But the sector began rebounding after 1999; and there were 18
marble forges by 2003, 22 in 2004, and 39 in 2005. These forges accounted for 10 percent of Turkey's crude production in 2003, 12 percent in 2004, and 16 percent in 2005, with the number of factories rising to 18. In 2003, the number of people employed by Diyarbakir's
marble industry was 320; in 2004 it was 540; and by 2005 the sector employed 950 people. In all, some 1,850 people were employed by the natural stone sector in Diyarbakir by the end of last year. The Diyarbakir stone sector serves several international markets, including China, the United States, the Middle East, Israel, and parts of Europe. By 2005, 80 percent of the stone produced by Diyarbakir factories reached these markets.
click for more Marble and Granite Plant Under Construction in Turkmenistan NewsCentralAsia.com (06/22/06)
French construction company Bouygues is building a
marble and granite plant in Turkmenistan. The facility, which will be ready for commissioning some time in July, will have annual production capacity of 205,000 square meters of
marble and granite tiles and slabs. The plant also will produce tiles and blocks from
limestone for use in facades and pavements. The
limestone that will be used in the factory will come from the nearby towns of Turkmenbashy and Gowurdak, while initial lots of raw
marble will be imported from Italy. Turkmenistan's own
marble and granite quarries, which are located in the vicinity of the factory, are in the process of being developed.
click for more New Stone Center Opens Stone World (06/01/06)
Different kinds of stone
marble from throughout the world currently are available at Nixa, Mo.'s new Global Granite &
Marble stone selection center. The importer, based in St. Louis, launched the center due to large demand from custom home builders and new commercial opportunities in southwest Missouri. The center is the third site for Global Granite &
Marble--which imports granite,
marble, slate, travertine, and many other kinds of stone slabs from over 30 nations, including Brazil, Italy, and Spain. The company's other sites are in St. Louis and Louisville, Ky. Over 1,000 slabs in more than 100 colors will eventually be displayed at the center, with present inventory at 500 granite slabs in 80 various hues. The selection increases to 6,000 slabs in over 300 various colors due to the extensive choice located just a few hours away at the warehouse in St. Louis. In addition, the Nixa center has stone tile, trim pieces, and accessories such as lazy Susans and custom sink basins. Several natural stone cleaning and maintenance products are for sale as well.
click for more Get Arty With Stone Statues Moneycontrol.com (07/05/06)
Stone and
marble can serve as more than construction material, as can be seen at large institutions and high-end hotels, where they are often used for statues. In the hands of a sculptor, stone and
marble can transform the appearance of a living room or a lawn as well. For example, stone and
marble can be used for a sculpture, animal carving, fountain, or garden furniture. The materials not only are weather-proof, but they also require little maintenance. While statues of Greek gods and goddesses remain the most popular stone and
marble objects, artifacts in abstract form--which is characterized by fewer carvings on stone and minimal cuts--have caught on with many buyers today. The quality of the stone and the amount of carving on it will determine the cost of stone and
marble statues.
click for more 'Stone' Renders a Vermont City's Origins in Grit and Granite New York Times (07/04/06) ; Zezima, Katie
A new docudrama chronicles the lives of Vermont granite workers at the turn of the 20th century. "Stone" is based on the book "Men Against Granite", a collection of short interviews with granite workers who immigrated from Canada, Italy, Spain, Scotland and Ireland with the hopes of working in Barre, Vt.'s granite quarries. Most of the play's characters are composites of the granite workers and their families profiled by Mari Tomasi and Roaldus Richmond for the book. Kim Bent, who wrote the docudrama, says the play was inspired by his desire do a production about the granite industry and how it impacted workers and shaped town life. "I was attracted to the idea of the relationship between the stone worker and his heart, and the fact that something was going on in there," Bent says. The production is playing at the Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier.
click for more President, PM Vow to Develop Marble, Granite Reserves in Country PakTribune (06/24/06) Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz voiced their dedication on June 23 to creating
marble and granite reserves, particularly for the socio-economic improvement of the residents in the underdeveloped regions blessed with these resources. Musharraf stated that the government would foster exploitation of these resources for the local people's benefit in order for them to obtain skills for better jobs in the
marble sector. Pakistan exports US$21 million in
marble and granite each year, although that could be increased greatly in the coming years. Aziz said that the government is committed to bringing the individuals of far-flung regions into the financial development mainstream. The government has established the Pakistan stone development company--an offshoot of the Pakistan industrial development corporation--which has been charged with setting up five
marble cities and warehouses to instruct the local residents on the proper treatment of these reserves. In addition, Jahangir Khan Tareen, the minister for Industries and Special Initiative, announced that the Pakistan government and the provinces would work together to make certain the projects would be owned at the local level.
 |  |  |
 | | Marble | MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS
This standard includes general information on the characteristics
and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems
associated with the material.
INTRODUCTION
Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite
(CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of
limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic
processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone
with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite
porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high
polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and
sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially
polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects
of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed,
is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is
readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the
actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the
acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds
react differently with marble and produce various by-products,
which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability
of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine
the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration.
Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the
other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid
attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the
brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red,
yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition.
TYPICAL USES
Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for
outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture
it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative
features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is
used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of
exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the
feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not
the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage
to which marble is susceptible. | |  |
 |  |  |
Linear Mode
