Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Slate was used for roofing in
France as early as the thirteenth
century, on castles, palaces and
churches. Since then, the material
has spread over many parts of
Europe, and to simpler buildings.
Slate materials have generally been
ignored during this century, partly
due to the architect's attitude that
slate is plain and uninteresting.
Evaluated from an environmental
and functional point of view, few
materials can compete with slate. In
highly exposed areas, it can suc-
cessfully be used as wall cladding.
Cut and polished stone tiles have
had a much greater use during the
twentieth century, especially in public buildings. The products are not strongly
layered and therefore need a developed technology to cut them to shape and
divide them into layers.
The different types of tile are:
Figure 15.2: A house with a recycled slate roof in Aberfeldy,
Scotland. Source: Gaia Scotland 1993
Roof tiles
Raw/rough tile, the oldest form, cut by simple splitting and dividing.
Patchwork tile, which has the form of a drop and is usually made in small
sizes, from 30
30 cm.
Square tile, square with broken off corners, produced from slate in many sizes
and thicknesses.
15 cm to 45
Floor tiles of limestone and marble, usually produced in a thickness of 2-3 cm,
while sandstone is around 8-10 cm thick because of its lower strength. Granite has
a much greater variety of form and size. Round stones or square cobble stones
from 5-12 cm can be used. All stones can be polished, which simplifies mainte-
nance. Slate floors are often laid as tiles which are cut into squares or rectangles.
Wall tiles of slate or other stones, produced in many different sizes. As they are
not exposed to heavy loading, large dimensions can be used even with weak-
er types of stone.
The occurrence of slates and other stones for tiles is generally plentiful and well
spread. The material is usually extracted from open quarries. This can change the
local groundwater situation and damage local biotopes. The use of primary ener-
gy in extraction is initially quite low, but because stone is so heavy it is difficult
to justify using it at long distances from its source.
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