Stone


 * 1) What are stones?**

A stone is a hard mass of mineral material that comes from earth and is usually shaped in a specific way to fit a ceratin purpose.


 * 2) How many kinds of stone do you know?**

I know several types of stones that are commonly used in buildings, such as: quartz, marble, limestone, sandstone, granite and slate.


 * 3) What characteristics do stones have and why arte they used in construction?**

Stones have many characteristics that make them suitable for construction because they are strong, durable and hard, so they can be used in columns, walls, countertops, stairs, etc. Also stones tend to be very pretty and appealing in building exteriors.


 * Paragraph #2:**

Stone is a common material used in construction that has both advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages are that it can be used in it’s natural condition, it can be sculpt and it has great durability. On the other hand, several disadvantages are that stone is very hard to quarry, cut and transport, it’s quite weak in tension when it has loads pushing at angles and it’s an expensive material. There are two types of stonework, rubble and ashlar masonry. Rubble, **which is the cheapest and simplest form,** consists of mortar-bounded broken stones. In ashlar masonry, **which is the strongest and most suitable for monuments**, blocks are cut regularly and they form an entablature. Also, this type of attachment does not depend on strong bondings like bricks. As to bonding in general, mortar is barely needed when working with stones. **In most cases stone is strong enough to provide structural support, but nowadays it has been replaced for cheapest materials.**

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