How can you expand your fabrication business beyond countertops? What effect will natural stone have on the current trend of "green building?" What are the latest techniques for repairing natural stone installations? These are among the topics being featured in over a dozen sessions targeted to professionals in the stone industry during Coverings 2006, April 4-7, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL.
"Stone is an integral part of Coverings and we are committed to being a valued resource for stone education as well as a showcase for new products and machinery." said Tamara Christian, president, National Trade Productions and show director for Coverings. "Our stone conference track, all free to Coverings attendees, is developed to discuss the latest trends and highlight issues and challenges most relevant to our attendees. We want attendees to leave Coverings with solutions to their challenges and new ideas to grow their businesses."
Coverings, the premier international trade show dedicated to tile and natural stone, is co-sponsored by the
Marble Institute of America (MIA), which was instrumental in helping to develop the seminar programs. "We feel this year's conference has something for everyone, regardless of position or time in the industry," said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president, MIA. "We looked for a broad variety of industry experts to provide sessions on timely and topical subjects to bring true value to those who attend. Things are changing so rapidly in our industry that everyone needs to be continuously learning, and the Coverings conference program is an excellent venue for that."
The educational sessions, many of which offer ASID, AIA, or State of Florida Continuing Education Units, are tailored to the 32,000 tile and stone professionals who attend the show annually. Topics of interest during the four-day show include design and installation trends, industry issues such as safety, as well as business and sales techniques. A COMPLETE LIST OF EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS -
http://www.marble-institute.com/pressroom/coverings.cfm.
Organizations sponsoring Coverings 2006 include ASCER (Spain's Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association), Assopiastrelle (Association of Italian Ceramic Tile and Refractories Manufacturers), TCA (Tile Council of North America), CTDA (Ceramic Tile Distributors Association), and NTCA (National Tile Contractors Association).
In addition to MIA, Coverings is also co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (Orlando Chapter), The American Society of Interior Designers (Florida North, Florida South and Florida West Coast), International Interior Design Association (Florida Chapter), the Terrazzo Tile and
Marble Association of Canada, the Tile Contractors' Association of America and the Tile Heritage Foundation.
About Coverings
The largest and most unique tile and stone marketplace in the Americas, Coverings is the industry's preferred forum for hard surface education, exhibits and purchases. It is the only event in the Western Hemisphere that features the entire spectrum of tile and stone products, tools and machinery. This event spotlights thousands of new products and hundreds of new suppliers from across the globe. Coverings provides attendees from all industry segments a wealth of new information on products, trends, materials, distribution, installation and more. More than 32,000 industry professional from around the world rely on Coverings to meet with 1,200 exhibitors covering over 505,000 net square feet of exhibit space showcasing the world of tile and stone opportunities.
For more information on attending or exhibiting at Coverings, please visit
www.coverings.com or contact NTP at 703.683.8500.
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 | | 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. | |  |
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