Quality Control is Critical in Natural Stone Processing

Quality control is critical is stone processing. Controlling the quality done throughout natural stone quarrying, crushing, and fabricating process can’t be overstated. In fact, all quality stone products require a certain level of testing and oversight during their manufacturing process.

Natural Stone Importance

Natural stone can be used in residential and commercial buildings in various ways, ranging from claddings and flooring to architectural trim and landscape accents.

Quality Assurance

As the use of this material increases in building and construction projects, it is critical to have some specifiers. Specifiers should be current and accurate in their construction documentation. Products used in conjunction with these materials are rapidly changing, so it is no simple process to determine what should be employed or with what method. Further, there is the big labor factor—most natural stone failures are generally related to installer error.

Why Quality Control?

Because in order to create reliable, manufactured aggregates and other stone products like thin stone veneer, you need to start and finish with high-quality, consistent material. Whether you’re sourcing quality architectural aggregate or commercial landscaping materials, you need to be sure that you’re getting the best material for the job. That quality assurance you’re looking for starts as soon as natural stone is extracted from a quarry and extends throughout the manufacturing process.

Why Quality Control is Critical in Stone Processing

Here’s why it’s so important to monitor and control the quality of stone products:

Not all quarried stone is the same. The quality of the natural stone you source for a project will play a significant role in the overall look of the finished installation and its continued performance. Your completed building facade might look stunning as the mortar dries, but how will it look five years later? What about five decades?

Natural Stone Price

Natural thin stone veneer, for example, should weather beautifully and retain its structural integrity over time. But imposter products, or artificial stone passed off as natural stone, will not yield the same results.

Price is a factor in any project, and you may be tempted to go with the cheapest option around. But that road may lead to ruin in the form of imperfect stone products that don’t stand the test of time. For instance, precast concrete manufacturers need consistently sized aggregates to use in their mix designs, or their machines will produce varying results—rather than uniform product.

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Natural Stone Consistency

Consistency is also critical in pathway materials. These mixes need to meet a certain gradation specification in order to work properly with their binders. Plus, a poorly graded aggregate or incorrectly mixed binder will affect the outcome of the project. Before you get taken in by the price tag, be sure to ask your supplier for the specifications. Clarifying, specifications of the products, you can ensure you’re getting reliable materials. Let’s take a quick look at what goes into the manufacture and installation of quality stone products.

Ensuring Appropriate Materials Through Standards

There are numerous common failures in stone applications that can easily be avoided. They can be avoided by preparing proper installation specifications including complete and detailed QA/QC specification requirements. Some types of stone do not hold up to various levels of acid rain and/or freeze-thaw conditions, so there are accelerated weathering tests (i.e. modified ASTM C666, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Concrete to Rapid Freezing and Thawing) that can be performed to replicate those expected conditions to verify how the stone holds up over time and whether it is suitable for the intended application.

Industry Standard Tests

As mentioned, to remain compliant and produce reliable products, manufacturers need to adhere to quality assurance specifications, regulatory standards, industry standards, and any other regulations that pertain to their natural stone products. A number of these standards are set down by ASTM International, a non-profit organization that develops technical standards for materials and products across a wide range of industries.

Installation Education

Education is crucial to the proper installation of many of our products. Both to ensure efficient use of the installing contractors’ time and to create a beautiful final result. When working with contractors on installations, it is important to make sure that they have the knowledge needed to get the job done correctly. That includes an understanding of the proper conditions under which to install a certain product and the proper tools needed for the job.

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Sources

www.kafkagranite.com/importance-quality-control-stone-products

www.constructioncanada.net/specifying-natural-stone-quality-assurance-and-quality-control-lead-to-quality-installation/