Stone

Stone The stone is a natural element that has for many years been used by man for practical purposes such as building homes and the arts. It’s a very popular material because it’s very easy to find in the nature. I know several types of stone, which is distinguished by its porosity, texture, color and of course the site where they are. The main characteristics of the stones are its hardness, durability, color, brightness, purity, texture, among other things. The stones are used in construction because it is a material that is abundant in nature and also provides great durability to buildings.
 * ** What are stones? **
 * ** How many kinds of stone do you know? **
 * ** What characteristics do stones have? **
 * ** Why are stones used in construction? **

media type="file" key="Vane_stone.mp3" Stones Stone is a natural material that has been used since the earliest civilizations to today, as their support for the passage of time, giving more time for life to buildings. It is a very popular material because of its abundance throughout the world.

Its hardness, strength and ability to shape are the benefits that are valued by many civilizations, but there are serious difficulties to quarry, cut, and especially transport (due to the weight of the blocks).

Architectural and construction techniques evolved, the requirements were changing, and stone could not adapt to them in many ways. The weight of stone exerted pressure in the structure, removing the construction stability; stone was slowly replaced by other materials, leaving a structural element.  There are various ways of working stone; the rubble is the cheapest way, is about roughly broken stones. The Ashlar Masonry consist of regularly cut blocks (usually rectangular).

Today stone is no longer used for make columns, lintels, or structures ... if however remains a very popular material for coating surfaces and the development of other arts.

Exercise
 * Read the text and ... **
 * ** Find 2 definitions in the text **
 * “Rubble; roughly broken stones of any shape bounded in mortar. **** “ **

“… stonework for monumental architecture is __Ashlar masonry__, which consists of regularly cut blocks (usually rectangular). ”
 * ** Find 2 statements of comparison and contrast **
 * “ ** In most areas where stone is available, it has been favoured over other materials for the construction of monumental architecture.** ” **

“…its weight and the precision with which it can be shaped, stone masonry (in contrast with brick) does not depend on strong bonding for stability where it supports only direct downward loads.” “The  __entablatures__  of an ancient Greek temple, for example, were bonded by small bronze dowels. But the weight creates problems of stability when loads push at an angle.” “Many stones are strong enough to provide monolithic supports (column and piers) and beams (lintels); and in some styles stone slabs are employed even for roofing (ancient Egyptian temples, early Christian basilicas in Syria). But this roofing requires so many columns…” “The __strongest__ and __most suitable__ stonework for monumental architecture is __ashlar masonry”__
 * ** Find 2 statements expressing cause and effect **
 * ** Find 2 adjectives in the superlative form, and 2 in the comparative form **

“The __simplest and cheapest__ stonework is __rubble__  ” “require __more support__ and buttressing __than__ equivalent forms in other materials” “the stone resists deformation __better than__ any bonding material.”