The modern construction industry offers consumers a huge amount of materials that can speed up, facilitate, and embellish the result of repair work or the construction of new premises. However a natural stone has not yet given up his positions. It remains still in demand and popular. What can we say about our ancestors, who knew about the virtues natural materials, perhaps, much better than us. It’s not for nothing that they say that granite is a mineral: thanks to it, architectural masterpieces and unique sculptures have survived to this day.

How was he educated?

It is thanks to the method of its origin that granite acquired its unique properties. All its varieties are formed by volcanic eruptions: the erupting magma flowed into the earth's cavities located very deep below the surface. The enormous temperatures of these masses decreased gradually, and even under significant pressure, which was exerted on them by the layers of earth located above. As a result, the igneous rocks fully crystallized, forming granite - a mineral.

Appearance and physical properties of the stone

Translated from the language of Ancient Greece, its name means “grain”, “granularity”. At the same time, the relative porosity of granite is quite low: even in coarse-grained varieties (the “coarsest” among all three structures) it rarely exceeds 6-7 mm. And in fine-grained varieties, the grain diameter does not reach even two. At the same time, the size of the “cells” seriously affects the strength and long-term operation of structures made from this stone - the smaller their diameter, the stronger the granite.

In addition to its strength and density, granite is also characterized by decorative properties. It increases with polishing. The most common black variety is also the least valuable. Colored options are pink (even red), green, and yellow. Such rocks are widely used in architecture and construction.

Construction advantages of granite

This stone, especially its fine-grained varieties, is amazingly resistant to the effects of time: even after five hundred years, destruction is only just beginning to appear. At the same time, it very successfully resists friction, is difficult to compress and is resistant to abrasion. Atmospheric influences also have little effect on granite. This type of mineral is resistant to acids and practically does not absorb water, which makes it an ideal material for finishing embankments, including the coastal sea strip.

Equally important is that this natural stone is virtually resistant to frost (very important in our latitudes!) and gets dirty very easily.

Granite is also ideal for finishing, as it harmonizes with metal parts, wood, ceramic parts, and the most modern materials. And despite all our fastidiousness, it is worth admitting that natural stone perfectly keeps the house cool in summer and warm in the winter.

Granite aesthetics

In addition to purely utilitarian advantages, this stone has good polishing, which reveals its unique structure and richness of colors. But many designers are happy to use the unpolished structure of granite, which perfectly absorbs light and creates wild and unusual interiors.

The variety of color tones can satisfy even the most picky esthete: among the wealth of tones there will certainly be something that he needs. After all, perhaps, among all the facing and building materials, there is no other one as attractive as granite - the photos fully reflect its beauty.

What was wrong with granite?

As it should be, this huge “barrel of honey” necessarily has a “fly in the ointment”. One of the disadvantages of this natural stone is the residual radiation inherent in some types of granite. Therefore, it is mainly used for outdoor work. And those blocks that are intended for internal use must undergo a scrupulous check so as not to subsequently harm people’s health.

In addition, the increased strength of the stone, which is already considered one of its undoubted advantages, is also its disadvantage. The extraction of granite is complicated by its hardness and combined fragility. You have to resort to expensive tricks to get a large enough piece of stone intact, and then put a lot of work into finishing it. That's why granite work is so expensive.

Development Features

For most solid minerals, it is not so important in what form they are extracted from the vein, because they are expected to be further processed (smelting, burning, etc.). Therefore, crushing the surrounding rocks does not harm the extracted substance; the main thing here is the convenience of extraction itself. A completely different matter is facing materials, which include granite. For him, it is important to obtain a monolithic block without cracks and chips, since these defects cannot be hidden by any subsequent tricks. Moreover, such restrictions apply both during storage and during transportation, which significantly complicates the entire process. And if there is a message about minerals (granite among them), it is necessary to carry out a whole range of additional measures aimed at preserving the integrity of what was extracted.

The most common method

Exist different ways granite mining, and the quality of the resulting stone directly depends on which one was used. On this moment There are three known methods, and, unfortunately, the most barbaric one is most often used - explosive. It consists of drilling a hole for the charge, which explodes. The fragments are sorted, and blocks are cut out of the largest ones. For most miners, this method is attractive because it is cheap. However, the quality of granite is very low: the blast wave creates a lot of defects in the blocks, as a result of which their strength decreases. And there are not so many large fragments at the output - at least a third of the granite crumbles and is only suitable for processing into gravel.

Air mining

This is a more gentle way. The beginning is similar to the first option: a well is drilled in the desired direction, a reservoir is placed in it, into which air is pumped under pressure. This method makes it possible to more fully use the granite deposit, calculate the locations of faults and avoid damage to the block, including even microscopic cracks. The result is much more monoliths, and much less waste. However, the mining company will require preliminary investments in equipment, and the method itself takes longer than explosive.

The most modern option

It is also the most expensive. It is called the “stone cutter method” and requires the purchase of very expensive equipment and personnel training. But granite (like any other natural stone) is of ideal quality, without the slightest defects (both external and hidden). And the field is being developed almost 100%.

Russian deposits

Granite mining in Russia, sadly enough, is carried out mainly by artisanal, explosive methods. This is despite the fact that there are many deposits here. Such natural stone is mined in the Urals, Primorye, Khabarovsk Territory, Transbaikalia, and the Sayan Mountains. There are deposits in the Moscow region. Mining is carried out mainly by small private companies, whose volumes are steadily increasing, despite the fact that the main deposits are located in the Urals. They are developed with great difficulty due to climatic difficulties, which increases the required investment and increases the cost of granite. However, the increase in the number of people with high incomes increases the demand for natural stone and stimulates the development of this industrial sector.

All these types of granite material are used for different purposes:

• from granite blocks construction projects and monuments are being erected;
• slabs used in the exterior and basement of buildings, as well as covering walls and indoors;
• - for paving streets and roads;
• crushed stone and crumbs applicable in finishing works, decoration and landscape design(), are used in the production of concrete to achieve high strength indicators.

Granite finishing can transform any building, both inside and out. Using granite stones of the most different shades From deep red to pearly grey, designers have successfully used the mineral for interior design. Properly combining it with wood, metal or ceramics, they create amazing objects - mirrored countertops for the kitchen, summerhouses, flower beds in the style of a Japanese rock garden, monumental polished stairs and other masterpieces.

A little about stone processing

As mentioned above, despite the hardness of natural rock, it is quite easy to process, and therefore the question “what can be made from granite” has dozens of solutions. It can be cut, the surface of the stone can be modified by grinding to the desired state, and also played with shades - made lighter or darker, for which special processing technologies are used.

Untreated stone looks natural and absorbs light well, but honed and polished to mirror shine The slabs emphasize the advantages of this material and the beauty of mica inclusions. When processing rock using the chipping method, an interesting relief is obtained with an artificial effect of play of chiaroscuro, and some varieties of rock gray after heat treatment they obtain a milky white hue.

This stone has attracted people since ancient times, but now with the improvement of stone processing technologies, the use of granite in the construction of administrative buildings and private houses has become even more accessible.

» Granite - characteristics and properties of the rock

Granite is a rock directly related to the granite family. The structure of the rock consists of several minerals, including potassium feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, and several types of mica. This type of rock predominates in the continental crust region. The share of granite in the overall structure of the continental earth's surface is very large. In fact, it is one of the most numerous rocks that form the structure of the earth's crust.

The granite rock is distinguished by its high density - about 2600 kg/m3. The stone can withstand compression pressure of 300 MPa. When heated to a temperature of 1215-1260ºС, granite begins to melt.

However, if heating conditions suggest the presence of water and , the melting point of the rock is reduced by approximately half.

There are three types of stones:

1. Aleksit.
2. Plagiogranite.
3. Porphyrogranite.

A characteristic feature of the first type - Alyaksite - is the pronounced presence of potassium-sodium feldspar in the rock with a low content or complete absence of minerals dark color, as well as potassium-magnesium-iron-containing mica.

A stone belonging to the Alyaksit type of rock looks like this or similar. The structure of granite is characterized by the moderate presence of alkali and the presence of large inclusions of quartz

The second variety - Plagiogranites, is represented by formations of light gray color, containing in small quantities (or completely absent) potassium-sodium feldspar. At the same time, plagioclases are present in predominant quantities.

The third, porphyritic stone, contains rock-forming minerals - microcline, orthoclase, quartz, usually in the form of elongated inclusions.

Porphyritic granite also includes rapakivi granite, which is distinguished by the presence of potassium-sodium feldspar in pink tones in its structure.

Geochemical classification of rock

Among other things, granites are classified according to geochemical principles. This is an obvious phenomenon, given that the composition of stones depends on the place of their formation. A total of four classes are defined:

• sedimentation (S),
• igneous (I),
• mantle (M),
• anorogenic (A).

The source of class “S” rock is traditionally the supracrustal upper crustal level. The source of stones of igneous origin (class “I”) is the deep infracrystal level.

Another type of granite from the Plagiogranites set, quite often used for construction needs as rubble masonry stone

Meanwhile, both classes of granites are often similar in content. True, there is a rock of class “S” with an increased concentration of rubidium (Rb) and potassium oxide (K 2 O), relative to the content of these elements in the rock of class “I”.

Granites of the “M” classification are a derivative of tholeiitic-basaltic magma. This class is often called oceanic plagiogranites. The main source of rock of this class is the mid-ocean ridges.

Finally, classification “A” and the granites included here. For this group, the most common sources are oceanic islands, continental rifts, and intraplate plutons. The origin of class “A” granites is associated with the melting factor of the lower layers of the continental crust.

Granite: the use of rock in practice

Considering the high hardness, density and strength of stones, there is no doubt about the relevance of using granite as a material. Moreover, it is one of the popular and widely demanded facing materials.

The facing material is granite tiles, characterized by a wide range of colors, which makes the use of tiles very popular in private and general civil construction.

Notable performance properties of the material are its low degree of moisture absorption and good resistance to low temperatures.

In addition, granite is characterized as a “building” material due to its low ability to accumulate mud deposits.

However, with all the positive qualities of granite regarding construction, there is one not entirely pleasant nuance. Stones, depending on their origin, may have a certain level of background radiation.

Some species are characterized by very low (perfectly acceptable) radiation levels, but there are also rocks that carry fairly high radiation. This is about the question of choosing granite for construction needs. You should pay attention!

The use of stone in practical construction covers a large number of areas:

• cladding of walls and stairs;
• construction of flowerpots, columns, tabletops;
• finishing of fireplaces and fountains;
• laying paving stones and other types of coverings.

The material is used to build fences, various kinds of fences, and make monuments and pedestals. In a word, the use of this natural stone in the construction industry and the national economy is almost limitless.

Selection criteria for different needs

Knowledge of the properties, as well as a careful study of the characteristics of a seemingly ordinary stone - all this is the key to the correct selection of building or household materials.

Selection of the “right” granite for construction - construction of objects, cladding, paving, etc. - a process that requires a careful approach and some knowledge

Based on the classification of the rock, it is not difficult to successfully choose exactly the type of stones that is best suited.

Based existing species, of course, there are beautiful granites in terms of their color characteristics, which makes it possible to build colorful objects. However, if a high value is required, you won’t be able to lose for long on the “colorfulness” of the stone.

For example, porphyry granite almost always attracts with its colorful natural appearance. But in terms of the qualitative characteristics of strength and density, this type of rock is inferior to other types. Again according to chemical composition granites can vary dramatically depending on their places of origin.

Tags:

Granite has been known since ancient times. This is one of the most famous rocks. This stone is found on almost all continents of the Earth. At times it comes to the surface in places where ancient rocks have been damaged by erosion. But most often, solidified magma (of which granite is made) does not reach the earth’s surface and solidifies at different depths, forming bodies of different sizes and configurations. It is from destroyed rocks that the soil is made. What does it consist of?

Composition of granite

The composition of granite includes:

• feldspars;
• mica;
• quartz;
• some dark-colored minerals.

Plagigranite- the majority of its composition is plagioclase, and a smaller part is feldspar. This type has a pinkish color.

Alaska- Feldspar dominates here, but there are few dark-colored materials in it.

And there are also: syenite, teschenite, diorite. Various types have different colors. The shade of the stone is determined by the content of feldspar, which adds a certain color to the rock: from light pink to greenish, black, silver, golden, etc.

Granite has a grainy surface. Quartz is responsible for the size of the “grains”. It is customary to classify this rock also by grain size into:

• fine-grained (grain size less than 2 mm);
• medium-grained (grains size 2-10mm);
• coarse-grained (grains larger than 10mm).

Fine-grained stones are considered the best: they resist mechanical influences less, wear out more uniformly during use, are more resistant to weather influences, and crack less when heated.

Granites with larger grains are slightly less resistant to heat: when the temperature increases above 600 degrees, they begin to grow in volume and crack. Therefore, sometimes after severe fires in houses where granite stairs were present, you can see that the stone steps are slightly cracked.

The main property of granite is its strength. What is granite? This is, first of all, a very durable material, not subject to mechanical stress, temperature changes (it is not afraid of changes over 100 degrees: it “feels” equally well at +50 degrees and at -60 degrees), is not susceptible to fungal infections, and is fire resistant (melting point +700 degrees), resistant to acids. Even in the most difficult conditions this stone remains flawless and will retain its own strength. Its cutting and grinding is carried out only with the help of diamond tools.

Characteristics:

The strength of a material depends on its moisture absorption coefficient. The value of this coefficient for this rock exceeds all other materials and depends on the place of extraction: denser layers of the deposit are a condition for the presence of an excellent grade of the rock. The depth of the rock, which determines the strength and density of granite, will further determine the area of ​​application of the stone.

Granite deposits

Found on almost all continents. One could even say that this rock is business card of our planet.

In Russia, the largest deposits are located in the Urals, the Far East, Eastern Siberia, the Caucasus, and the Kola-Karelian (Karelo-Murmansk) region. In general, over fifty deposits have been identified where piece stone is mined. Many deposits are mined for rubble and crushed stone, sometimes granite blocks are also extracted from them, which are used for the manufacture of facing slabs. At times, the resulting blocks are hewn for piece stone or for architecture (making monuments).

In the post-Soviet space, the most significant deposits are in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine (Mokryanskoye), in the Poltava region of Ukraine (Malokokhnovskoye), in the Brest region of Belarus (Mikashevichi). In general, on the ground former USSR Over two hundred granite deposits have been developed.

Europe is also rich in granite deposits. For example, Italian stone (Sardinia) - luxurious light pink color “limbara”, “sardo rosa”, etc. (Italy is a world leader in the creation of facing materials and products). In France, the main deposits are located in Brittany, and in total more than a hundred types of this stone are mined in France. In Great Britain, Scotland. Spain has large group deposits of highly decorative stone, which is actively exported. Sweden, Finland (the Finns are one of the largest suppliers of granite blocks to the whole world), Germany (Bavaria, Lower Saxony), Portugal.

It is known that there are huge deposits on the African continent, but due to poor knowledge of this region, it is difficult to say what the characteristics of the rock mined there will be.

America also abounds in deposits of this “eternal” stone: in North America, mining is carried out in the states of Wisconsin, Georgia, Vermont, etc., and there are deposits in Canada; V South America- Brazil, Argentina.

And in Australia, the famous blue Labrador blue granite is mined.

Application

Due to its durability, granite has been used since ancient times in construction: this stone is very durable, it is practically not affected by any external irritants (even during the construction of the well-known pyramids in Egypt, granite blocks were used), therefore the products of this stone have been well preserved for many centuries.

The stone lends itself well to processing, is perfectly ground and polished (you can even create a mirror surface), so it is often used in the production of cladding, countertops, monuments, stairs and, of course, many their interior details.

Misconceptions about granite

For some reason, many people believe that granite is very expensive for its price. The truth is that fake diamond will often have a much higher price than popular natural varieties. Of course, this postulate does not apply to the cost of rare varieties of stone.

The opinion that granite is susceptible to cracking when high temperatures. This is far from true: the natural destruction of stone lasts many centuries.

And the most common misconception is the misconception about the background radiation emitted by the stone. In fact, this level is two times less than the established maximum permissible standards.

The result of all of the above may be the fact that granite is a stone extremely durable, beautiful and environmentally friendly.

As stones with magical properties, it is common to see precious or semi-precious stones in the form of rings, pendants, figurines or geodes. Granite is completely different. It does not make a decoration; it is associated with monuments and stately buildings. Meanwhile, he also has magical power and can be used as a talisman.

Translated from Latin, “granite” means “grain”. This describes its structure. Granite is actually made up of grains of various minerals. In modern geology, granite is usually classified as a mineral with the following composition:

• the share of feldspars is 60% of the rock;
• quartz – 30%;
• – 5-10%.

Sometimes, along with feldspar, granite includes hornblende, biotite,. Depending on the composition, the color of granite may vary. Most often it is a gray stone with darker inclusions, but red, brown, pink, yellow, and green granite are found. Quartz in granite looks like glassy transparent grains from 2 to 25 mm. At a certain viewing angle, they give the stone a shimmering shine. Less common are varieties with inclusions, which color the entire mass of feldspar.

Characteristics of the stone:

Due to its characteristics and prevalence in nature, granite is widely used in construction and manufacturing. A large number of varieties gives room for the imagination of designers.

Applications of granite

Granite is not affected by acids and salts, so this stone can be used in the chemical industry. The low coefficient of water absorption makes granite an indispensable material for cladding pools, fountains, and embankments. Due to the frost resistance of granite, it is a material for exterior decoration of buildings. Granite wears out little, so it is used in interior decoration of high-traffic areas, and it is also a material for road construction. Here are just some examples of its use:

• columns;
• monuments;
• parapets;
• paving stones, curbs;
• floor tiles;
• wall panels;
• steps of stairs;
• window sills;
• countertops;
• vases;
• cornices;
• parts of production machines;
• millstones;
• bases of high-precision instruments;
• material for railway embankments.

Granite is susceptible to weathering and melts at temperatures above 700 degrees. But meanwhile, many granite architectural monuments from thousands of years ago have reached us: ancient Egyptian, ancient Roman, Greek buildings. Many have not survived to this day, destroyed by wars and natural disasters.

An example of thousand-year-old granite structures:

• Stonehenge. Its stones weigh more than 50 tons;
• the obelisk of Hatshepsut, weighing 343 tons;
• Spanish monastery of Escorial.

During the reign of Peter I, mining of other stones reached its peak. During the construction of St. Petersburg, granite was mainly used. “The Neva is dressed in granite.” These are the buildings of the Academy of Arts, the Stock Exchange, the Admiralty, and St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Granite can be mined in huge multi-ton masses. For example, the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman statue in its original form weighed 2,000 tons, or the Alexandrian Column, which in its raw form was a stone more than 30 meters high.

How is granite mined?

The only disadvantage of granite is the difficulty of mining and processing. The stone is polished exclusively with tools. It remains a mystery how huge stones were previously mined to build majestic palaces.

There is an assumption that in ancient times stones were separated from the massif with copper saws and used as an abrasive. Modern experiments prove that this is possible. Although there are opponents to this theory. They argue that the nature of the marks on the stones suggests that tools similar to modern diamond cutters were used. But archaeological excavations do not confirm this theory. Scientists have found only the simplest tools.

In Peter's times, to separate granite blocks, recesses were drilled into the base of the massif, and posts were driven into them. The work was done until the first vertical crack. Then, shafts were drilled into the stone to store gunpowder. The explosion broke off the plate. Using the same method, the stone was broken into smaller pieces.

Nowadays stone mining is carried out in a similar way. Holes up to 7 meters deep are drilled in the massif, explosives are placed in them, with the help of which the slab breaks off.

How granite is formed

This issue has been the subject of debate for a long time.

Development of theories:

1. In the 18th century, it was believed that granite was a sedimentation of crystals on the seabed.
2. In the 19th century, they began to believe that granite is magma, which, rising to the surface, captures and sinteres other minerals, cools and crystallizes.
3. In the 20th century, another theory was added to the previous one. Granite is the result of hot springs that erode and transform rocks. Some components are washed out, others crystallize and sinter.

Now the last two theories are being developed. It is generally accepted that they both have a right to exist. Some of the granite massifs were formed magmatically, some by granitization.

Granite deposits

Now granite rocks occur close to the surface of the earth's crust and less often on the ocean floor. Their formation occurred throughout the history of the earth. The oldest samples date back to 3.8 billion years.

Initially, feldspar lay far from the surface, at a depth of 10-15 km. But gradually the sedimentary rocks were eroded and weathered, due to which the granite slabs were exposed.

Granite makes up 77% of all igneous rocks near the earth's surface. Its deposits are different. These are small veins of 1-10 meters or huge layers that make up entire granite belts. The maximum depth of such formations is unknown. For example, in Peru, a layer of granite is exposed for 4 km, but this is not the limit.

Granite development is currently underway in many countries. The most famous:

1. In Russia, these are the Khabarovsk Territory, Primorye, Transbaikalia, and the Urals. Here they mine gray and Brown. In the Leningrad region, Karelia, on the Kola Peninsula there are deposits of pink, red and... Gray-pink granite is found in the Murmansk region.
2. Ukraine is famous.
3. In Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. Rare green-blue granite is mined here.
4. Europe: Bulgaria, Portugal, France, Scandinavian countries. Spain and Sardinia are famous for their light pink granite.
5. China, India, Sri Lanka.
6. Africa.
7. North America.

Australia is rich in granite; there are deposits of blue granite here, but the deposits have not been fully explored and stone mining has not been developed.

Magical and healing properties

It may seem that granite is too simple to have any extraordinary properties. It is too familiar to be used for magical purposes. But experts highlight the following properties:

• changes a person's life for the better. These can be any changes: financially, in love relationships, a change of job or promotion, a change of place of residence;
• relaxes;
• cleans the room from negative energy;
• increases communication skills, helps to find mutual understanding with other people;
• increases intuition, makes a person responsive and flexible;
• has a beneficial effect on joints and spine.

Granite stone is recommended to be used as a talisman for those involved in scientific activities, as it increases concentration, attention, improves memory and stimulates mental activity. By improving communication skills, it helps to choose an approach even to the most careless students.

Can be used by all people, because it has peaceful energy, it is not capable of harming anyone.

Granite is a symbol of masculinity, indestructibility, strength and durability. This is a unique mineral from the very depths of the earth. He survived cataclysms, the birth various forms life, tectonic process in the thickness of the earth. Now this stone, millions of years old, serves man.