Discovering Stone Issue 29 | October 2016

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION FOR THE AUSTRALIAN STONE ADVISORY ASSOCIATION

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STONE

ASAA AGM DATE AND SEMINARS IN BRISBANE ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL STONE MARKET THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER CURING OF NHL MORTARS SLIM MATERIALS - THE ADVANTAGES

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

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contents

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MARKETS & TRENDS 12

30 34

Analysis of the international stone market Bench top trends and materials Slim materials - the advantages

ENVIRONMENT & RESTORATION 14 16 41

Current environmental credentials of natural stone The importance of proper curing of natural hydraulic lime mortars A timeless transformational landscape

ARCHITECTURE & SPECIFICATION 22 26

A bold architectural statement Natural stone plays key role in Chinatown upgrade

PROCESSING & MACHINERY 44 48 50 52

AWISA: not just a wood show Adding stone keeps business growing CDK Stone open day Superior abrasive waterjet technology changing the stone industry

INTERVIEW 38

Custom Surface Solutions

NEWS 08 58

ASAA announces AGM date and seminars in Brisbane International news round-up

NEW PRODUCTS 56

Featured Products

READ ON THE GO: Scan code to view the latest FREE digital versions of the magazine on our website. Simply click on the front cover once you have scanned the code.

paving | walling | veneers | stone steps | slabs | waterfall and garden rocks

best residential award winner

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ASAA Architectural Awards 2014 Project: Private residence in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia Architect: TT Architecture, Canberra Stone supplier and processor: Kanmantoo Bluestone, South Australia

when only the best will do

Kanmantoo Bluestone Phone: +61 8 8538 5155 Mobile: 0417 833 786 Fax: +61 8 8239 0900 www.kanmantoobluestone.com.au

Australian Slate & Stone Phone: +61 3 9894 0222 Fax: +61 3 9894 4533 www.australianslateandstone.com.au

FO REWOR D

MEET THE TEAM

Vicky Cammiade Publisher

Welcome to this issue of Discovering Stone, which once again is jam packed with information that is both important and relevant to your company’s daily business activities.

On 27 October the ASAA will be running a seminar program in Brisbane and we urge you all to consider attending this event. (See page 8 for full details.)

As reported in the ASAA News in this issue, the AGM will take a look at how to enlarge the association as well as how to provide a wider range of services to financial members. If your company is a serious player in the industry then we recommend you take part and express your opinion. www.asaa.com.au

Jennifer Curtis Group Managing Editor

We look forward to working together to make this industry even better.

Vicky Cammiade, Director & Publisher Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd

Ashley Cooper Group National Sales & Marketing Manager

Anthony Stock Contributing Editor

Philip Ashley Machinery Editor

FRONT COVER IMAGE Wee Jasper stone used in the new streetscape in Sydney’s Chinatown.

See the full story on page 26.

6 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

Joe Simpson International Correspondent

A 100% ECO FRIENDLY SURFACE FROM NATURAL MATERIALS ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE WITH NEOLITH

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Melbourne Showroom 597 Church Street Richmond VIC 3121 03 8552 6090

Sydney Showroom 40-42 O’Riordon Street Alexandria NSW 2015 02 9822 5910

W www.cdkstone.com.au

E info@cdkstone.com.au

Perth 231 Camboon Road Malaga WA 6090 08 6240 2200

cdkstone

ASAA news ASAA announces AGM date and seminars in Brisbane

The Australian Stone Advisory Association’s (ASAA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at Rydges Hotel, Camperdown on Thursday, 17 November, commencing at 4.30 p.m. The AGM will be preceded by a meeting of the current board, which will commence at 2.00 p.m.

The Directors’ meeting and the AGM may be followed by a seminar.

Check the ASAA website for more information - www.asaa.com.au The venue is: Rydges Hotel, Missenden Road Camperdown NSW Directors Meeting: 2.00 Swear in new board: 4.00 Annual General Meeting: 4.30 Seminars commence: 6.30

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ASAA will provide finger food and beverages.

For full details of the seminar program visit www.asaa.com.au to reserve seat(s).

SMS or call 0431 388127 or email tonystock1.asaa@gmail.com

Expanding the membership of ASAA

Over the last few months the ASAA Board has discussed two key questions: 1. Provision of a wider range of valuable benefits to financial members.

2. How to enlarge the membership of ASAA by making it a broader church, which represents all of the key elements of the industry.

In regard to item 1, the Board are examining offers from the Marble Institute of America (MIA), which

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ASAA MODIFIES NATURAL STONE DESIGN MANUAL Close to 400 copies of the ASAA Natural Stone Design Manual have been sold to design and construct professionals and members of industry.

Carl Strautins has already contributed a new slip resistance section.The Manual is available in a licensed digital version, or as a CD. Please state your preference when ordering. The CD price includes registered delivery. contents of the AsAA natural stone design Manual appears opposite >>>

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Licensed digital copy (via download) Architect / ASAA member: $132.00 Non-member: $264.00

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$154.00 $286.00

All prices mentioned above include GST.

© This copyrighted work is jointly owned by the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd and may not be reproduced, transmitted and otherwise disseminated without the express written consent of the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd.

8 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au with kind permissi

CD Version * Architect / ASAA Member Non – member *Includes registered delivery.

PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED deSign

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would allow ASAA to modify MIA industry survey material that would provide a valuable snapshot of industry trends. In addition ASAA could re-badge and modify suitable MIA documents that would be useful to ASAA members.

Item 2 is a potentially sensitive issue; however, the Board is keen to expand membership by attracting greater numbers of suppliers, processors and installers of natural stone, many of whom also supply, process and install engineered stone.

To achieve this goal some elements of the existing constitution would have to be modified. Discussions will continue over the coming weeks with a view to making any required changes at the AGM in November. Financial members are invited to attend and express their opinion. ●

BRISBANE SEMINAR Mapei Australia • 27 October 2016 The Board is delighted to announce its first seminar program in Brisbane. The seminars will be presented at Mapei Australia’s new production facility on Thursday, 27 October.

Address: Mapei Australia, 180 Viking Drive, Wacol QLD

6.15 – 6.30 p.m.

Schedule

Description: Choosing an appropriate adhesive for natural stone or agglomerate materials can be achieved by accurately assessing the products dimensional stability – sensitivity to water and thermal variations. Marco DeSantis will present an analytical classification system, which measures the amount of deformation to which natural and artificial stones will be subjected. Products are designated class A, B or C, and an appropriate adhesive is recommended. Learn about the associated specialised equipment and processes.

5.30 – 6.15 p.m.

Australian dimension stones presented by David West, Materialswise.

Description: This presentation is an introduction to the range of natural dimension stones (granite, marble, sandstone, bluestone, slate, limestone) currently quarried and sold in Australia.

It provides a brief historical context, and illustrates the range of Australian dimension stones through reference to an assortment of buildings and landscapes completed in Australia over the past 30 years. Details of resources with further information on these dimension stones will be provided.

Speaker’s background: David has over 30 years’ experience with the use of stone in buildings. He has run a stone testing laboratory, written standards for stone, inspected a wide range of stone quarries and fabrication plants worldwide, designed and specified major stone cladding and paving installations, and inspected and reported on many stone buildings and landscapes. David is a materials scientist by training and currently consults on the use of stone in buildings.

Questions and answers

6.30 – 7.15 p.m.

Preventing dimensional instability and curling of stone presented by Marco DeSantis, Manager of Research & Development, Mapei Australia.

7.15 – 7.30 p.m.

Questions and answers 7.30 p.m.

Refreshments A number of visitors will be invited to participate in a short tour of Mapei’s new laboratories.

To reserve seating call or SMS Tony Stock on 0431 388127 or email tonystock1.asaa@gmail.com Note: The content of all presentations is entirely generic.

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 9

ASAA

Dedicated to the promotion of the Australian stone industry at home and overseas. ASAA seeks to develop standards of excellence in performance and product supply, and to facilitate greater co-operation between the various sectors and competing entities of our industry.

TM

Australian Processors & Suppliers of Stone Apex Stone Pty Ltd CDK Stone Australia Dellermay Pty Ltd Paz Stone Stone Culture Stoneplus NSW Tillett Natural Stone Industries V-B Granite (Aust) Pty Ltd W K Marble & Granite Quarriers of Australian Stone Absolute Stone (WA) + Dimension Stone Group Australia AustralAsian Granite BAM Stone Cairns Marble Australia Capricorn Sandstone Quarries Gosford Quarries Granites of Australia Kanmantoo Bluestone Melocco Stone Victorian Bluestone Quarries

Stone Fixers, Landscapers, Geologists, Building Contractors, Sculptors, Educators Adelaide Stone Construction Ceramic Tile Systems Consolidated Building Services David Mark Tatler Geos Mining GroutPro Australia Marble Renewal Medusa Stone Provence Stone Masonry Stone Concept Holdings Techtile Consulting Tilecorp Pty Ltd Suppliers of Machinery/Equipment

Wholesalers/Importers, Resellers of Stone Aristocrats Marble & Granite Biesse Group Australia CAVE Cinajus Pty Ltd Cosentino Australia De Fazio Tiles & Stone Decor8 Tiles Europe Imports Ocean + Merchant Pacifico Stone Project Stone Australia RMS Natural Stone SAI Sandstone Solutions – Sealers for Tile & Stone Vercon Pty Ltd

CDK Stone Australia Manufacturers of Adhesives, Grouts, Sealants & Waterproof Membranes Ardex Australia Bostik Australia Construction Technologies Australia Euro Abrasives Laticrete Pty Ltd Parex Group Solutions – Sealers for Tile & Stone

ASAA MEMBERSHIP www.asaa.com.au

Government Agencies, Professional Service Providers, Associations Austrade – The Australian Trade Commission Bellmont Façade Engineering Building Diagnostics Asia Pacific (BDAP) Industry Capability Network Limited International Conservation Services Intertile Research Pty Ltd Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jackson Teece Chesterman Willis Marble Institute of America (MIA) Materialswise Safe Environments Stone Initiatives & Materials Testing Group

seminars | standards of excellence | architectural awards Visit www.asaa.com.au to download a FREE version of ASAA’s new guide to ‘Sealing and maintaining natural stone’.

2016 Sealer Selection Guide available for FREE DOWNLOAD from www.asaa.com.au

Refer to ASAA news page in this issue of Discovering Stone for upcoming seminars and the AGM.

Sealing and maintaining

l NaturNae sto

BAM Stone bluestone

Sealer selection guide 2016

M

any of the calls the Australian Stone Advisory Association (ASAA) receives relate to problems which arise after the stone has been installed. A considerable proportion of those calls relate to sealing, cleaning and maintenance. We decided to produce a basic Sealer Selection Guide in response to requests by contributors and readers of Discovering Stone.

We have attempted to make the ‘Guide’ as relevant as possible by focusing on use of three popular products, in specific locations and asking leading suppliers to nominate appropriate sealers.

However, our guide can only provide readers with basic information.

There will always be variables which have to be taken into consideration.

Our guide cannot possibly address every possible situation or environment.

Nevertheless, it does provide a valuable reference point and an insight into the available products from some of our leading suppliers. More than 50 companies in Australia are actively engaged in producing or distributing sealers for natural stone. Our guide largely features materials which have been tried and tested in the marketplace.

Understanding the limitations of sealers is also important. Sealers are designed to improve the natural stain resistance properties of stone – they will not provide 100 per cent protection against all stains in all situations. As an example, an impregnating sealer will not prevent marble or limestone being etched by acidic solutions such as wine or soft drinks; impregnating sealers are designed to reduce the absorption of stains and cannot provide complete protection to the exposed surface. Surface sealers (such as acrylics and polyurethanes) provide excellent surface protection by forming an impermeable barrier. The drawback of this feature is that any moisture below the sealed layer cannot escape and peeling of the coating may follow.

Participating companies can provide project specific advice, some also recommend approved applicators. We urge readers to seek precise advice before commencing the installation process. Our guide which is designed to encourage users to identify the right sealer and maintenance programme.

ASAA CEO, Anthony Stock

Melocco Stone, Snowy River Pearl

FREE ASAA SEMINARS

Our Guide has been emailed to over 7000 specifiers and members of the stone and tile industries. Recipients also received a copy of the Australian Stone Advisory Associations’ guide to ‘Sealing and maintaining natural stone’. Both of these documents are also available for free download from the Archived Articles segment/ page of www.infotile.com and the homepage of www.asaa.com.au. Links to both documents will appear in editions of the ‘Tile+Stone eNews’ in March, April and May.

ASAA

TM © Australian Stone Advisory Association

CDK Stone Calacatta benchtop and splashback

Cairns Marble & Granite, Pilbara Cream

www.asaa.com.au | Sealing and Maintaining Natural Stone

1

Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd

CONTENTS OF THE ASAA MANUAL

DS27_Sealer guide 2015.indd 1

23/03/15 2:27 PM

Geology of Stone Standards & Specifications Design Manual Stone Selection ASAA members enjoy a 50 per cent Stone Testing saving when they purchase the I ASAA Natural Stone Design Manual.

Granite To join or order a manual call Limestone 0431 388 127 or email Marble & Onyx info@asaa.com.au Sandstone Travertine Over 400 copies sold to specifiers Slate Wet are as Basalt The manual exceeds 390 pages. Each section Installation has been carefully peer reviewed.

Horizontal Surfaces Vertical Surfaces AVAILABLE AS A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Wet Areas To place an order call 0431 388 127 Natural Stone Tiles during business hours or send an – fixing methods email to info@asaa.com.au.

Residential Stone Countertops Capping & Sills Cost: Stone Furniture ASAA Members $132 horizon exterior tal surfaces – Architects $132 (includes GST) stone pav Stone Faced Veneer/Pre-cast ing Non-Members $264 Concrete Allow 24 hours confirmation before download.

Cleaning & Maintenance Digital version is licensed to the purchaser.

Restoration/Refinishing We accept Mastercard & VISA Slip Resistance of Stone Active Australian Quarries ALTERNATIVELY ORDER THE CD VERSION Allow $22 for registered mail and handling Images of Natural Stones of Australia Glossary of Stone Industry Terms Modelled on the Marble Institute of America Dimension Stone Design Manual, the ASAA Natural Stone Appendix (Production Table, Design Manual comprehensively covers geology, stone selection, installation, care, maintenance and MOHS Scale, Applicable ASTM restoration. Contains references to applicable standards and test methods, an extensive glossary, list of Standards & Tests) quarries, prime suppliers of stone and related allied products.

ACROBAT READER REQUIRED

VERSION

PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED

© This copyrighted work is jointly owned by the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd and may not be reproduced, transmitted and otherwise disseminated without the express written consent of the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd.

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M AR K ETS

Analysis of the international stone market The following article addresses the value of the international market for stone, set against the performance of the world construction market. We also examine the value of our own exports and imports of stone. We express our thanks to IMM Carrara for the figures published herein. All monetary figures are published in Euros.

By Anthony Stock

In 2015, the value of the world construction market reached €7 trillion, which represents growth of 2.6% by comparison with 2014.

The highest growth in investment in construction was recorded in the Persian Gulf (4.4%) equating to €229 billion. The region benefited because it was not severely affected by the drop in oil prices thanks to financial resources that were amassed during the oil boom.

Oceania, the Far and Middle East, and Africa recorded accumulated investments in construction of 4%, amounting to approximately €3,400 billion.

The North America area recorded investment of 3.6%, valued at €300 billion – equal to that of Western Europe. It is anticipated that investments in construction in the United States of America will grow by 5% in 2016.

While the prospects for construction look good in Germany, a decline has taken place in France and the United Kingdom. Increased demand for housing in Germany, an offshoot of the migrant crisis is set to stimulate investment.

A decline in investment in Eastern Europe was partially attributed to a 3.7% decline in GDP in Russia, which is heavily affected by the decline in the price of oil. Consequently, there was a 9% decline in the value of the construction sector.

The value of the growth of the global economy was estimated at 3.1% by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). GDP in China declined to more than 6.5% in 2015.

TABLE 1

INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF STONE MATERIALS (IMPORTS-EXPORTS)

Value (euro) Quantity (tons) AUV (euro per ton)

2013

2014

2015

VAR% 2015/2014

€22.447.253.570

€22.886.277.219

€25.726.470.711

12,41

79.959.092

86.163.478

77.838.605

-9,66

280,7

265,6

330,5

24,43

(Source: Global Trade Atlas, processing by IMM. NB: “AUV” stands for “average unit value”. Marble, granite and other stones are taken into account.)

International stone market statistics

According to IMM Carrara this can largely be attributed to the high quality of finished products and growing consumption of marble, which is particularly popular in regards to use on walls, floors and kitchen counter tops. The latter trend is also evident in Australia.

The countries that enjoy the largest slices of the overall market share are detailed in Table 2. China’s exports rose from €12.8 billion in 2014 to €15 billion in 2015, confirming its prime position in the international natural stone market.

In 2015 the international market for stone products generated trade to the value of €25.7 billion, reflecting an increase of 12.4 per cent by comparison with 2014. (Refer to Table 1.)

Ironically, the quantities of stone traded declined to 78 million tons in 2015, almost 10% less than the figure recorded in 2015. The growth in overall value reflects a rise in the average unit value of stone in 2015 to €330 per ton.

TABLE 2

MARKET SHARE (FIRST 10 COUNTRIES 2015) COUNTRIES

2013

2014

2015

China

34,2

35,7

42,4

Italy

13,6

13,5

12,4

Turkey

12,9

12,1

11,2

India

10,3

10,8

9,8

Brazil

7,2

7,0

6,8

Spain

4,8

4,4

3,7

Greece

1,9

2,0

1,8

Egypt

2,1

1,8

1,4

Portugal

1,6

1,6

1,4

Iran

1,1

1,8

1,0

12.725,4

12.882,0

15.069,2

WORLD EXPORTS (MILL. EURO)

(Source: Global Trade Atlas, processing by IMM. NB: the table shows the first 10 countries in terms of export value in 2015. They account for 92% of the world export value in 2015.)

12 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

TABLE 3

INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR STONE PRODUCTS 2015 FIRST FIVE COUNTRIES (VALUE IN EURO) 2013

2014

2015

VAR% 2015/2014

United States

1.886.333.343

1.983.125.020

2.460.581.817

24,1

China

2.137.903.194

2.192.368.177

2.014.251.233

-8.1

South Korea

524.964.655

569.628.515

690.469.934

21,2

Japan

659.451.540

597.408.534

574.710.116

-3.8

India

308.429.998

311.707.579

455.154.964

46,0

(Source: Global Trade Atlas, processing by IMM. NB: the table shows the first 5 countries in terms of world import value in 2015. They account for 58% of the world import value in 2015.)

“The use of marble as a precious stone to be used carefully favours the transition of the stone industry into a circular industry whereby even waste, if properly treated, can be reused and enhanced to create an object of particular value.”

While China enjoyed growth, Italy experienced a slight decline and Turkey also lost market share. Only India and Iran increased their market share.

In terms of international demand (Imports – Table 3) the United States of America overtook China in 2015, recording a value of €2.4 billion, which represents an increase of 24.1% against 2014. Brazil supplies 28.5% of the stone imported by the USA, versus 19.5% (China) and 18% (Italy).

Much of the stone imported by China is raw blocks, an element of which is processed and re-exported.

India and Turkey are China’s prime suppliers. Granite is sourced from India; marble from Turkey.

South Korea and India both recorded massive jumps in the value of imports, whereas Japan’s figures declined due to a decline in construction. This trend should be

reversed during the build-up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Australian stone statistics In Table 4 we can see that our demand for ornamental stone is particularly high.

In terms of imports we were the 17th largest importer of natural stone in the world in 2015, recording a value of €121,361,864 versus €101,284,412 in 2014.

In stark contrast our exports declined from €3,878,121 in 2014 to €2,921,390 in 2015. Tonnage in 2014 was 15,109 in 2015; it fell to 12,071 in 2015.

Conclusion Overall the demand for stone remains positive. The IMM Carrara report notes that while quantities produced and traded internationally showed signs of decline, the unit value increased. Attention was drawn to the tendency to recycle. The use of marble as a precious stone to be used carefully favours the transition of the stone industry into a circular industry

whereby even waste, if properly treated, can be reused and enhanced to create an object of particular value.

For eco-design and the luxury market stone is a pliable and particularly attractive material, leading to synergies between the marble industry and fashion where a flake can become a jewel and waste from the cut of a slab can be turned into a pair of sunglasses.

In view of the ceramic tile industry’s growing capacity to imitate the appearance of popular natural stone products, coupled with the emergence of sophisticated materials like Dekton (Cosentino) and Neolith (marketed

by CDK Australia) and the continued development of engineered materials, the stone industry needs to develop positive environmental credentials, particularly in established markets where demand for environmentally friendly products will eventually increase.

Nevertheless, demand for natural stone is well established and the quest for high quality appears to be on the rise. ●

TABLE 4

INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR ORNAMENTAL STONE HIGH-GROWTH MARKETS 2015 COUNTRY

GROWTH % 2015/2013

Malaysia

97,7

Egypt

59,9

Mexico

57,4

India

47,6

Romania

45,7

Ireland

44,2

Thailand

41,2

Australia

36,3

Algeria

35,1

Source: Global Trade Atlas, processing by IMM

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 13

ENVIRO N MEN T

Current environmental credentials of natural stone According to the Green Building Evolution, an annual publication produced by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), we enjoy a ‘world leading position in sustainable building’.

By Anthony Stock

A

ccording to the GBCA ‘the business case for green building continues to stackup’. They cite evidence that green buildings ‘deliver a range of quantitative benefits: from lower operating costs to increased office productivity’. The GBCA provides an impressive list of completed five and six-star rated projects.

In the USA, a survey conducted by the Organic Consumers Association revealed that 30% of Americans want to use ‘healthy eco-friendly products’.

An article in the Guardian.com, which examined how adults in the United Kingdom approached sustainability, confirmed that only 47% of adults believe that their individual efforts to limit their own impact on climate change have any effect. That figure

rises to 70% when more eco-conscious readers of the Guardian and the Observer were canvassed for their opinions.

Significantly, several studies have revealed that consumers in the United Kingdom are not prepared to pay a premium for more ethical goods and services. In fact, many of those surveyed stated that complex or expensive purchases such as solar panels and electric vehicles are either beyond their means or are undesirable.

It appears that quality is the key for most shoppers, allied to price.

It’s probably true to state that some consumers in all markets don’t believe all the fine print. However, many are prepared to buy from companies that give something back to the community at large.

14 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

Stone and the environment Almost 10 years ago the Australian Stone Advisory Association (ASAA) partnered with Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) and the Australian Tile Council to produce a Hard Surfaces Ecolabel, 40, which has since been endorsed by the GBCA. As far as I am aware Melocco Stone is the only local producer that has achieved a GECA Ecolabel for its Black Granite.

ASAA has produced a guide for its members to use, which is designed to take interested companies through each stage of the processes required to achieve accreditation.

Outside of Melocco Stone there has been minimal interest, in part because it is a time consuming and relatively expensive process.

In theory, local architects engaged in Green Star projects, seeking to use a Black Granite. should use Melocco’s stone in preference to imported product, providing it complies with the stated specifications. This should provide an advantage to suppliers of any product, providing business is conducted on a level playing field. In theory suppliers should be able to gain a premium price for a locally produced environmentally friendly product.

Unfortunately, it appears that large elements of the international natural stone industry are apathetic about proving the environmental credentials of the products they produce and sell.

In the US the Natural Stone Council (NSC) continues to make prodigious efforts to promote

stone as a natural product that has an enduring life cycle. The NSC convincingly make the argument that the initial expenditure required to fund a sustainable structure or dwelling is repaid handsomely with resultant savings in energy costs.

Regardless of that fact, the vast majority of international producers of natural stone products appear to be more concerned with keeping the price down. Stone has been used for thousands of years and many suppliers remain unconvinced that their customers will pay a premium for environmentally friendly product.

In a recent Google search for environmentally friendly Italian natural stone, the first three results promoted porcelain tiles that look like stone and a slim engineered stone product. Perversely, numerous Italian ceramic tile manufacturers

have gained EU ecolabels for their products, many of which are available in Australia.

Slowly but surely some of the importers of those products are becoming aware of the advantages they have when specifiers and home owners seek to use environmentally friendly hard surface finishes.

It goes without saying that many manufacturers of agglomerate materials, like engineered stone have gained appropriate environmental credentials for their product. The same can be said for many producers of carpet, vinyl and other soft and resilient floorcoverings.

Sales of stone and tile are being lost because some manufacturers and resellers are yet to be convinced that there is a real financial benefit to be gained by promoting eco-friendly products. At some stage a financial tipping point might be reached, until

then it appears that large elements of the international natural stone sector will be content to sit on their hands, unwilling or uninterested in taking the next step. â—?

“Slowly but surely some of the importers of those products are becoming aware of the advantages they have when specifiers and home owners seek to use environmentally friendly hard surface finishes.�

Specialist B2B Publisher Supporting the industry since 1981

To discuss advertising opportunities, contact: Ashley Cooper E: ashley.cooper@elitepublishing.com.au Ph: 03 9890 0815 Fax: 03 9890 0087

www.elitepublishing.com.au www.infotile.com www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 15

RESTOR ATION

The importance of proper curing of natural hydraulic lime mortars

By Jasper Swann, Stonemasonry Consultant

M

uch has been written by many on the constituent components and proper use of lime mortars.

However, as the uptake of natural hydraulic lime (NHL) mortars appears to gather momentum – with all the performance benefits that flow from that – now is perhaps a good time to reiterate the importance of enabling these mortars to properly cure.

Failure to do so will be likely to lead to early failure of the mortar – a wholly undesirable, and potentially costly outcome – with replacement being the only remedial action. It is worth remembering that there is no cure for a poorly cured lime mortar.

Properties and benefits of NHLs Properly used, and properly cured, NHL mortars outperform the composition mortars (cement/lime/ sand) that, for perhaps some 50 years, became the most commonly used mortar in stone buildings.

NHL mortars have a number of significant performance and application benefits: • The inherent availability of free lime gives an NHL mortar ‘self-healing’ properties. When wetted during periods of rain, this free lime goes into solution.

Upon evaporation, the lime recrystallises across any microcracks that may have opened up, effectively healing the joint.

• NHL mortars have a low modulus of elasticity. This allows for a certain degree of movement without cracking.

• They are highly vapour permeable, ensuring that pointing and bedding mortars act as a wick for moisture, moving water away from the stone itself and into the joints.

Preferential erosion of the joint reduces erosion of the stone. (It is far easier and cheaper to replace pointing than to replace stone.)

• They have a significantly improved resistance to salt attack, owing largely to their porosity and vapour permeability. This makes them an excellent choice in saline and marine environments.

• They are highly workable.

Masons regularly report on the workability of these mortars. They can be ‘knocked-up’ and re-used over a 24-hour period without compromising the structure and effectiveness of the mortar in any way, thus reducing waste.

• They are compatible with early mortars, which makes them an excellent choice in the conservation of historic buildings.

The benefits listed above make

Figure 1: Repointed joints protected with Scotch Blue 2093 masking tape to allow curing.

16 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

NHL mortars the product of choice in many masonry conservation projects. However, unless they are properly cured, most of these benefits will not be had.

Curing The term essentially refers to the need for the processes of hydrolysis and carbonation to fully and effectively occur within the mortar.

Hydrolysis involves the initial setting of the natural hydraulic lime in water. Carbonation, the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air, occurs thereafter as the mortar begins to dry out. Carbonation tends to occur most successfully when the mortar is damp, but not saturated. Essentially, if the mortar dries too quickly, the initial set will fail and carbonation may not occur. Too slowly, and carbonation may not occur at all. Proper curing

Figure 2: Noting the date on the tape records the commencement of the curing period.

therefore consists of allowing the mortar to remain damp for a given period and to dry out slowly. So, how best to effect a proper cure?

Jasper Swann

Methods of Curing In most parts of Australia, climatic conditions are such that rapid drying is likely to occur if the mortar is not effectively protected against it. Direct sun, heat and wind are the enemy of NHL mortars immediately after installation, as they will cause early drying. Rain at this stage will, of course, wash out the lime. Measures need to be implemented to guard against them, but they need only be simple to be effective.

There are various methods by which the slow curing of NHL mortars can be effected.

1) Application of masking tape When pointing or repointing stonework, masons have long applied masking tape either side of the joints to assist in achieving clean and efficient pointing, particularly on dressed ashlar where joints are relatively fine, (5-12 mm).

A simple application of a third strip of masking tape, completely covering the finished joint, is an effective way of preventing early drying of NHL-based pointing. This approach was employed successfully in the conservation of the Sydney Town Hall clock tower in 2012/13, (Fig.1) and, in my view, is the preferable method for curing fine joints in finely dressed stonework.

The choice of masking tape is important, as many tapes will impart an adhesive residue into the stone. This can 18

PTY LTD

HERITAGE MASONRY CONSULTANT STONE PROJECTS MANAGEMENT ABN 30 095 438 609

• Stonework and Masonry Condition Reports • Schedules of Stonework Repair • Documentation for Contract Tender • Project Management • Make-safe Inspections and Certification of Sandstone Facades • Tender Evaluation • Project Quality Assurance • Budget Estimates • Dispute Resolution and Expert Witness Reports • Advice to Architects and Building Owners • Advice to Local, State and Commonwealth Government Departments

Jasper Swann BSc(Hons), M.Herit.Cons., CGLI Stonemasonry

T: (02) 9269 0018

M: 0418 470215 E: jasperswann@jasperswann.com.au

www.jasperswann.com.au

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 17

RESTOR ATION 17

cause a ‘picture framing’ effect, which is irreversible and therefore to be avoided. The use of Scotch 2093 Blue Masking Tape, specially developed so as not to leave an adhesive residue, will avoid this. This, therefore, is the preferred masking tape for such applications.

The process is straightforward.

Having masked up and pointed the joint, the surface of the pointing should be finished with a light brush or stipple. This is important, as the brushed or stippled surface finish will be more porous than an ironed finish and will more readily allow carbonation to occur, and to a greater depth. (Carbonation continues long after application and early curing of the mortar). An ironed finish – significantly less permeable – may preclude successful carbonation of the pointing mortar, resulting in a softer layer of poorly cured mortar behind the hardened outer skin.

Having brushed the surface of the joint, a strip of masking tape is then applied over the joint, covering it completely, adhering to the tape either side of the joint. This tape is then allowed to remain in place for a minimum of seven days before being removed. Noting the date of application on the tape provides a simple means of knowing when the tape can be removed. (Fig.2) It is worth mentioning that attempting to finish the surface of the pointing after removing the tape that has covered it for seven days will not deliver a successful outcome. The surface needs to be finished before the covering tape is applied, while the pointing is still workable.

2) Polyethylene sheet and hessian coverings In instances of pointing where the stonework is relatively coarse, for example in rubble walls, rock-faced ashlar and perhaps some coarsely ‘convict-picked’ ashlar, it may not be possible to apply masking tape to the arrises. In this instance, the simplest and most effective means of preventing the mortar from drying prematurely is to cover sections of the newly-pointed stonework with polyethylene sheet. The sheet can

Figure 3: Protection of an NHL-based mortar repair to allow proper curing.

be tacked to the wall with nails or fine timber wedges inserted into a joint. Attaching a length of timber batten at the base of each section of polyethylene sheet can assist in keeping it in place by weighing it down slightly, and this, too, can be tacked to the wall in a joint. In warm weather, orange-coloured sheeting is preferable to black, as it will absorb less heat if exposed to direct sunlight.

When working on a free-standing monument or sculpture, wrapping the whole thing in polyethylene sheet on completion of each day’s pointing is easy and effective.

When working on particularly warm or hot days, condensation forming inside the polyethylene sheeting has the potential to cause leaching of lime if the sheeting is in contact with the stone. The use of hessian or shade cloth as a buffer between the polyethylene sheet and the stonework can prevent this. By themselves, both hessian and shadecloth will offer protection from direct sunlight, but insufficient protection against wind.

It is worth noting too that, in the application of NHL-based mortar repairs, as well as pointing, covering the repair with polyethylene sheet held in place with masking tape is

18 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

the best way of allowing the repair to properly cure. (Fig. 3) 3) Light mist spraying The regular application of a light mist spray can assist in achieving a slow cure of the pointing mortar, but a cautious approach is needed. This method is really only worthwhile where pointed joints are quite wide and equally deep, as is likely to be the case in coarser stonework. Finer joints will dry out so quickly that the spraying is of little value, as frequency of spraying necessary to be effective is impractical. Care must be taken, however, when mist spraying not to overly wet the joints, as this will lead to leaching of the lime. Leaching will cause both a weakening of the mortar, as well as lime-runs down the face of the stonework. Protecting pointing against rain in the first seven days is important for the same reason.

Summary All of the above are very simple measures. What is important is that they are applied. Poorly cured NHL mortars will be liable to fail; properly cured, they will perform exceptionally well and outlast typical composition mortars. ● * All photos by Jasper Swann.

New Savior Limestone

create your own natural masterpiece

Melbourne 4-6 Freighter Road Moorabbin VIC 3189 03 8552 6000

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New Finishes & Surfaces magazine

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ccess architects, interior designers and specifiers with the new Finishes & Surfaces magazine Finishes & Surfaces magazine is a publication featuring the myriad of specialist surface materials and finishes that are available to specifiers, interior designers, architects, affiliated professionals and discerning consumers.

Relaunched and revamped by the new owners, the well known and respected business magazine publishers Elite Publishing Co, this collective glossy presentation will showcase the new products, the colourways, leading edge innovations and inspiring projects that will influence and highlight the defining trends of 2017 and beyond.

The magazine’s content will bring together in an eye catching format the various materials used for any type of surface – (vertical or horizontal and interior and/or exterior) and will clearly define what’s new, what’s next and why they are a “stand out” in the race to get the attention of the specifiers in the residential and commercial market place.

Products lines that will be featured will include: hard flooring, carpet, tile, stone, veneers, decorative surfaces,

laminates, engineered stone, solid surfaces, paint, glass, timber, concrete, metal – plus so much more……

The magazine will inform, inspire and surprise its readers with its bespoke editorial opportunities, specialised formats and technical information on this wide variety of products.

We will also include the current list of eco labelled products in Australia. This national register is vitally important to any company or person specifying or recommending products in the tender process.

A controlled distribution – 15,000 copies will be distributed by Australia Post early in the New Year to all the major specifiers, interior designers, architects, builders, retailers and merchants, who are already included in our professionally managed database.

Gordon & Gotch will also distribute a further 4000 copies through selected upmarket newsagencies (mainly in the Eastern States) with a history of high sales in this specific area. This means the discerning consumer will have access to these new and innovative products as well.

Bespoke opportunities are available for special advertising

20 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

packages, custom inserts, exclusive sponsorships and individualised gallery showcases to capture and encourage interaction with your market Australia wide.

Let Finishes & Surfaces magazine work for you and your sales team 24/7 – a sure ROI. All inclusions will be on a “first come first served” basis.

To arrange for a media kit to be sent to you and to make sure your company’s product lines are included contact: Vicky Cammiade vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au or Ashley Cooper ashley.cooper@elitepublishing.com.au

finishes& SURFACES

THEpreview OFFICIAL & review of brand new products > Annual PUBLICATION FOR FINISHES > Innovative ideas, aspiring projects & SURFACES EXHIBITION > Distributed to leading specifiers, interior designers, retailers and newsagencies Australia wide

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For more information and advertising opporturnities please contact: Vicky Cammiade

Phone: +61 3 9890 0815 Email: vicky.cammiade@ elitepublishing.com.au

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A RCHIT EC TU R E

Exploiting a majestic mountain panorama, this high specification home offers a warm and welcoming environment that is characterised by the subtle palette of natural stone that flows seamlessly throughout its exterior and interior spaces.

A bold architectural statement The design of Copper Sky is crisp, elegant and wholly sympathetic with its environs in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

It makes a bold architectural statement and yet sits in total harmony with its magnificent rural setting.

Joe Simpson reports:

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he design of Copper Sky, a new private residence in Paradise Valley, Arizona, is the product of unusually close collaboration between the homeowners, and their architect, Jon C Bernhard of Swaback Partners. The result is a crisp, elegant and wholly sympathetic design that makes a bold architectural statement and yet sits in total harmony with its magnificent rural setting.

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Exploiting a majestic mountain panorama, this high specification home offers a warm and welcoming environment that is characterised by the subtle palette of natural stone that flows seamlessly throughout its exterior and interior spaces.

The architect utilised roof forms that echo the mountain slopes, with deep overhangs to empasise the experiment with indoor/outdoor living. Materials were selected to complement regional

Above: The house’s main entrance features Fossil Creek flagstone quarried in Northern Arizona and supplied by Picasso Tile and Stoneworks of Tempe, Arizona.

The house’s main entrance features Fossil Creek flagstone quarried in Northern Arizona and supplied by Picasso Tile and Stoneworks of Tempe, Arizona.

and site-specific influences, with high-performance glass extensively integrated into the design to take advantage of the breathtaking mountain setting and panoramic views.

Natural stone, the architect’s preferred construction material, has been used extensively, with the skilful balance of tone and texture imbuing the whole project with a strong sense of aesthetic harmony.

Copper Sky exploits natural stone’s extensive finish palette, durability, timelessness and ecological credentials to the full. This is perhaps best seen at the house’s main entrance, a focal point of the overall design, that features Fossil Creek flagstone quarried in Northern Arizona and supplied by Picasso Tile and Stoneworks of Tempe, Arizona.

The stone selection process emphasises the close collaboration between architect and client at Copper Sky. It commenced with a presentation of a general palette of finishes including all of the proposed colours and textures, along with suitable alternatives. Working closely with the design team and builder, the client was thus able to make an informed final selection that took into account availability, price and 24 consistency of the selected stone. www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 23

A RCHIT EC TU R E 23

As a result of this process, the gridded Fossil Creek flagstones are complemented by Eqyptian Corton Beige limestone used both on the floor and as vertical accents; installed using a variety of Mapei adhesives and grouts. While the limestone is similar in colour to the flagstone, it has a smoother texture and greater colour consistency, thus creating a subtle contrast.

Careful planning and accurate detailing characterises the stone installation. The design maintains complete two foot square sizes throughout, and joints were aligned both vertically and horizontally.

Equal care went into the calibration, and detailing. Different corner and edge details were mocked up and evaluated, ranging from a thick lap to a tight quirk mitre. A blind mitre was eventually selected for the limestone, as it offered the required solid appearance; while a quirk mitre was chosen for the flagstone to accommodate the irregular cleft finish surface.

Some of natural stone’s other qualities were used to unifying and dramatic effect at Copper Sky. For

instance, an extensive range of exotic granites and marbles was used for vanities, countertops and niches. The single most striking application was the exploitation of the warm colour transmitted through backlit onyx.

This was designed into the main entrance as a skylight, with large panels of onyx installed above the entrance, between two adjacent roofs, to create an impressive, naturally lit focal point that speaks of the natural world beyond the house. To reinforce this impression, the entrance was designed to represent a gateway into

Warm colour is transmitted through backlit onyx onto the main entrance via a skylight.

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a mountain courtyard. The onyx skylight also features integral lighting to provide warm-coloured lighting at night.

As in all the best architecture, the devil is in the detailing, and this has been proven with overwhelming success on the Copper Sky project.

It is the painstaking care that was invested in material selection and construction detailing that characterises this project success and elevates it into the category of extraordinary and timelessly impressive. â—?

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S TO NE IN T HE B U ILT EN VIR ON MEN T

Natural stone plays key role in Chinatown upgrade A new streetscape in Sydney’s Chinatown fully leverages the creative possibilities of natural stone.

By International Correspondent Joe Simpson

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homas Street in Chinatown, Sydney now features a pedestrianfriendly central plaza.

The space has been transformed by Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture and Hill Thalis into a welcoming walkway and public space, with additional trees, lighting, seating and a new artwork.

Scholar’s rocks – ­ large natural stone blocks much prized by Chinese

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scholars – have been installed, alongside stone seating, as part of an attractive hard landscaping scheme that fully leverages the creative possibilities of natural stone.

Jane Irwin, of Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, and architect Philip Thalis, of Hill Thalis, collaborated with Chinese-Australian artist Lindy Lee and a team of designers, including a feng shui expert, to develop the new streetscape.

The final piece of this urban regeneration project will be a new artwork by Lindy Lee called The Cloud Gate. Due for completion later this year, it will take the form of a series of circular shade sculptures that will hang like clouds above Thomas Street. Catenary cables and fixings act as a background to paired layers of domed perforated discs that will filter sunlight during the day and gently reflect light at night. This play of light is fundamental to the visual impact of the project with the effect changing throughout the day and across the seasons.

The project references ancient Chinese philosophy in which water has great symbolic value due to its three states: solid, liquid and vapour.

Clouds are significant because they embody change, transience and impermanence.

The City of Sydney formally adopted the Chinatown public domain plan in 2010 but decided, five years later, that it needed updating. This eventually led to the Thomas Street project, following earlier upgrades to Little Hay Street, Factory Street and Kimber Lane: all completed in 2012.

The Cloud Gate site proved an ideal location for Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture (JILA): a design-based practice with a proven expertise in the field of public domain planning and design. The practice philosophy is to always maintain an intimate role in the work undertaken. JILA relishes working with architects, urban designers and artists in a creative and collaborative environment, generating schemes – such as Thomas Street – that underline the authenticity of a place and its cultural associations.

“We have transformed Thomas Street into a pedestrian-friendly walkway and public space, with more trees, lighting, seating and a new artwork,” explained JILA. “While we have been putting the plan into place to create a precinct that celebrates the unique character and heritage of Chinatown, recent significant changes in the southern part of the city centre presented a need to update the plan in 2015. It is also the result of detailed studies of the precinct that looked at current street quality, the shortage of gathering spaces, the ways people

currently travel to and through Chinatown and how people spend time in Chinatown.”

The successful upgrade also included integrated artwork along Thomas Street comprising street furniture, paving materials and paving patterns as well as various cultural elements paying homage to traditional Chinese gardens and Australian identity.

Natural stone has played a key role in the area upgrade scheme. The length of Thomas Street between Hay Street and Ultimo Road now features decorative paving with concentric circles, stone boulders that form part of an integrated artwork, and granite footpaths with trachyte kerbs. In adjoining areas the city authority has also added a signalised intersection at Thomas Street and Ultimo Road, smartpoles for traffic signals and lights, additional granite pavers, new pits for new trees and more decorative paving and boulders as part of the integrated artwork.

For the art components, stone was used to create both massive feature pieces and the geometric hard landscaping designs. Custom-made boulders were used in three sizes 600 by 800 by 450mm, 1,200 by 1,800 by 450mm and 2,000 by 1,600 by 800mm.

They were complemented by Austral Black exfoliated pavers with bronze cast inserts measuring 450 by 300 by 50mm.

The custom-made Cup Floating Rock piece was created from a Bluestone boulder with a cut and etched surface measuring 2,000 by 1,600 by 750mm.

This was complemented by green hued 28 90 by 90 by 60mm paving setts.

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Stone played an equally central role in the pavements and kerb specification.

The Austral Black paving was laid in four modular formats: 900 by 450 by 500mm, 600 by 450 by 50mm, 450 by 450 by 50mm and 300 by 450 by 50mm.

Detailing work featured 150 by 150 by 60mm Austral Black setts, as well as 90 by 90 by 50mm Wee Jasper Bluestone paving, 30% green and 70% grey/black.

The final stone used as paving was exfoliated Bruce rock. This was specified in 150 by 150 by 60mm, 150 by 300 by 60mm and 300 by 450 by 60mm modular formats.

The kerb and gutter detailing was equally exacting. A new plain concrete gutter was installed, capped by 200mm and 300mm kerbs manufactured using Trachyte salvaged from the site. In other areas dark green exfoliated 200mm and 300mm Austral Black kerbs were used to maintain the visual continuity of the hard landscaping.

The care taken in the stone specification is clear in the success of the final landscaping scheme, where the custom-made boulder features have a massive presence yet sit comfortably atop the complementary paving. The result is a dramatic yet welcoming space that is eminently practical, hard wearing and easy to maintain. â—?

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T R EN D S

1. A prime example of a slim line slab installation featuring Neolith Arena

by CDK Stone.

Bench top trends and materials According to the Housing Industry Association Kitchen and Bathroom survey, the average kitchen costs $19,000. The horizontal and vertical finishes are critical in terms of providing attractive, yet hardwearing surfaces.

By Anthony Stock

O

ver the last 10 to 15 years we have witnessed a revolution in regard to the emergence of advanced slim materials. The die was cast when a number of Italian manufacturers of porcelain commenced production of 3 mm porcelain panels, which were intended for use on building facades and internal walls and floors.

In due course slim tiles were manufactured in sizes that range from 300 x 300 mm to 1000 x 1000 mm. Larger slim formats are often described as panels in preference to slabs.

Today, some producers of porcelain manufacture thicknesses, which range from 3 mm to 7 mm, the latter can be used on bench tops.

Former Australian Stone Advisory Association Director, Richard Mackenzie commented: “I was

hesitant about slim products but specifiers and industry are gaining confidence in these products and in most instances this eventually leads to competence in handling and installation”.

Traditionally, Australians used granite on kitchen benchtops and marble on vanity tops in thicknesses that varied from 20 mm to 30 mm.

In fact, many designers favoured the ‘waterfall edge’ trend, which created the illusion that slabs were 50 mm to 80 mm in thickness.

CDK Stone General Manager Peter Mitchelhill, the CEO of the Australian Stone Advisory Association said: “These edges are created by forming carefully crafted mitres, with a line of epoxy or similar material inserted in the joint between the slab and the fascia piece. The jointing material is available in a variety of colours

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which match popular engineered and natural stone bench top finishes.”

According to the Smith & Smith Kitchens’ blog, the ‘waterfall edge’ trend has retained its popularity.

However, kitchen benchtop trends appear to be undergoing rapid change.

In an article on the latest kitchen trends in 2016 by Sandy Smith published online by Domain, Anoushka Allum an interior designer and decorator of SmartSpace Interiors stated: “I think we are moving away from these really heavy, thick looking stone bench tops, some being as thick as 50 mm to 60 mm of late. The trend coming out of Europe is very much streamlined, which works well in modern handleless kitchens using very few materials.

With products such as Neolith from CDK Stone bench tops can be 12 mm

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thick, delivering a beautiful modern look that is streamlined.” (Image 1.)

Neolith is an advanced slim product that is marketed exclusively in Australia by CDK Stone. Unlike engineered stone this UV resistant surface can be used internally or externally on vertical and horizontal surfaces, including furnishings, display fittings, shop fittings, cupboard fascias, walls and floors and benchtops.

Neolith is available in a variety of formats and thicknesses, the 3200 x 1500 x 12 mm thickness is recommended for kitchen and bathroom counter tops. The novel size permits better utilisation of the entire panel, as one big panel can be utilised to produce two full counter tops.

Any reservations that designers, building owners and industry practitioners held are gradually being dispelled. Tony Victor a director of CDK Stone commented: “We are enjoying sustained growth. It is accurate to state that as far as the stone component of our business is concerned, Neolith represents the fasting growing segment.”

When questioned about the reasons for this growth spurt Tony added, “It reminds me of the emergence of engineered stone: processors did not like the odour that was emitted during the cutting process: people said it was difficult to cut. Nowadays, engineered stone and agglomerates in general represent 85% of the average fabricators business.

“The technology is changing rapidly with better machinery and blades. There is no doubt in my mind that Neolith will be a very big part of our future.”

Dekton by Cosentino, the manufacturer of the Silestone brand of engineered stone, is another truly remarkable product. Dekton is manufactured used sinterised particle technology (SPT) and, like Neolith, it can be used internally or externally.

SPT is a revolutionary system that involves a high-tech production process, which literally creates an accelerated version of the metamorphic processes that create natural stone. (Image 2.)

2. Dekton Irok advanced slim material

by Cosentino.

Dekton boasts zero porosity.

Dekton Xgloss is a new line of polished high-tech, ultra-compact surfaces, which are characterised by a dazzling crystal shine that is created by mechanical polishing processes and a unique nanocoating process.

Valentin Tijeras, the production innovation director at Cosentino said: “What makes it different is that we can achieve this in an integrated way throughout the whole body and surface of the slabs, firstly thanks to the nanoparticle treatment and then to the mechanical polishing method.”

Xgloss is produced in five new colours in thicknesses that range from 12 mm to 20 mm in and in sizes up to 3200 mm x 1440 mm. The Dekton collection is produced in one size in four thicknesses 8 mm, 12mm, 20 mm and 30 mm.

Neolith and Dekton share many of the attributes of porcelain, the prime ceramic material, which frequently complies with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) porosity classification B1a that calls for 0.5% or lower porosity values.

The featured advanced materials provide excellent resistance to abrasion and wear, and remarkable flexural strength.

Importantly, the slim panels and slabs of Neolith and Dekton weigh considerably less than traditional slabs of natural stone. Slim tiles weigh much less than conventional 9 mm or 10 mm ceramic porcelain tiles.

This will prove advantageous in many areas of our built environment.

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3. A convincing replication of natural stone featuring White Attica by Caesarstone.

4. Authentic Calacatta marble by CDK Stone. Use of marble on kitchen bench tops is trending worldwide.

Read Slim Materials – The Advantages in this issue.

Caesarstone, a leader in the field of engineered stone, has released its own 13 mm thickness collection of thin bench top products in a range that comprises six designs, which includes the popular Supernatural marble-look inspired designs and Snow and Shitake.

Continued advances in digital ink-jet printing processes permit manufacturers of ceramic tile to accurately imitate the look of natural materials like stone and timber.

Similar technologies have become prevalent in the field of engineered materials. Once upon a time, it was fashionable to proclaim that slabs of engineered materials were consistent in terms of appearance by comparison with natural stone.

Now that the technology is available to imitate the natural tendencies of stone it has become fashionable to promote the fact that variation from slab to slab is achievable.

Caesarstone recently released seven new designs, which increases their overall collection to 48 designs.

The new designs are: Cosmopolitan White, Noble Grey, Tuscan Dawn, Symphony Grey, Georgian Bluffs, Nordic Loft and White Attica.

(Image 3.)

When all is said and done many specifiers and discerning consumers will continue to favour natural stone as their preferred benchtop finish.

In recent times marble, Calacatta marble (image 4), has emerged as a favoured bench top material, in spite of the extra precautions that have to be taken to enhance and protect the marble against accidental spills, which may stain or etch the surface.

Then we have granite – a tough, low-porosity product that, like marble, is entirely natural. Remarkably, some practical granites are less expensive than engineered products.

Whatever your preference, slim, sleek and impervious or thick, sturdy and traditional, engineered stone or natural stone there are a remarkable variety of bench and counter top finishes on the market to satisfy the most demanding and discerning consumer. â—?

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T R EN D S

Slim materials – the advantages

By Anthony Stock

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n 2005 leading local wholesaler Trend Tile (NSW) launched 3 metre x 1 metre x 3 mm panels of porcelain at Designbuild in Melbourne. The product was the brainchild of System SpA a leading Italian manufacturer of machinery principally used in the production of ceramic tiles.

The industry’s initial reaction was understandably cool. There were natural concerns about the strength of the material. How brittle would it be?

Tile retailers and fixers accustomed to traditional 9 mm thickness ceramic tiles were hesitant. How could the material be transported, stored, cut and handled?

In the intervening years many of those questions have been resolved.

Slim panels, tiles and slabs (12 mm and

13 mm) are manufactured in a variety of countries by tile manufacturers and specialist producers focused on the kitchen and bathroom counter top segment of the market.

Let us examine the reasons why slim tiles and panels will capture a significant segment of the market for hard surface finishes.

Raw material consumption While 3 mm slim products have established a niche in the marketplace, 6 mm thickness tiles produced in a variety of popular formats and 12 mm slabs for bench tops offer the greatest potential benefits in our built environment.

The volume of raw materials used to produce a conventional 9 mm floor tile or a 20 mm slab of

Advanced slim materials like Dekton by Cosentino can be used on building facades such as the featured Porsche showroom.

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marble or granite are considerably higher. This is a significant factor, as manufacturers endeavour to reduce consumption of materials and energy.

Lightweight Floor tilers and stonemasons, who face the challenge of lifting and laying 600 mm x 600 mm x 10 mm porcelain tiles or large units of natural stone, are beginning to discover the benefits associated with using 6 mm thickness product of similar dimensions, which weigh considerably less, or comparatively lightweight 12 mm slabs designed for use on counter tops.

The weight reduction provides corresponding benefits for all parties involved in the handling, storage and delivery of these materials.

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T R EN D S

Lightweight slim 12 mm slabs such as the featured Neolith product

by CDK Stone have multiple applications on all interior and exterior vertical and horizontal surfaces.

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Design and decoration The original slim panels of porcelain looked like giant, plain vinyl tiles.

Today, an increasing number of manufacturers use recent advances in digital decoration to produce convincing replications of natural stone and other surface finishes on slim tiles, panels and slabs.

Advance production technologies ensure that practically no two pieces look the same, enhancing the authenticity of the product offering.

Practical areas of application • 3 mm tiles and panels: One of the original perceived advantages of slim materials related to tiling over existing tiles and other surfaces. This alternative can provide significant advantages in regards to saving time, reducing labour costs, mess and inconvenience.

These products can be used on sound wall surfaces. Large panels can be cut into smaller formats to create unique designs, or they can be applied over existing tiles where there is sufficient tolerance around doors and window reviles to allow installation of the 3 mm product.

In some instances 3 mm material can be laid over sound, clean, existing or new floors, particularly in light traffic locations e.g. residential bathrooms.

Slim 3 mm product can also be adhered to appropriate timber surfaces and furnishings, including cabinets.

• 6 – 7 mm tiles and panels: If wall and floor substrates are correctly prepared these lightweight products can be applied to new backgrounds or over existing tiles.

• Counter tops and overall advantages: We have reviewed this segment in depth in ‘Bench Top Trends and Materials’ in this edition. However, it is worth considering the advantages associated with handling 12 mm product on bench tops and matching slim material on the kitchen splashback, versus the difficulty associated with handling and manoeuvring 20 mm to 30 mm slabs.

Building facades and commercial interiors: Last but certainly not least, there is the possibility of mechanically fixing large slim panels to internal walls and external facades. Once again the reduction in weight provides a distinct benefit to stonemasons and tile fixers who are usually physically challenged with the task of manipulating large units of tile or stone at great heights.

Conventionally, adhesive fixing of ceramic tile is outlawed above heights of approximately 3.4 metres. Heavy units of stone have to be fixed with anchors, pins or clips.

Mechanical post and rail fixing systems save time and reduce the risk of accident and danger to the public.

Leading suppliers of slim panels and tiles recommend their own external mechanical fixing systems.

Conclusion The building owner, architect, designer or contractor faced with

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tiling over tile, installing new bench tops, providing furnishings with a face-lift, or cladding the façade or interior of a building can now consider slim high-tech porcelain products and advanced materials like Dekton and Neolith as an alternative surface finish to conventional, heavier ceramic and natural stone products.

While authentic slim natural stone veneers have been used in six-star Green Star building products like the ANZ Bank in Melbourne’s Docklands, many of the available slim products are porcelain (ceramic). Ultimately, the stone industry may lose some market share to these products and materials like Dekton and Neolith.

There will always be a demand for traditional stone products, but the environmental, commercial and practical advantages associated with a well planned and carried out installation of slim products presents a new and currently underrated challenge. ●

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INT ERVIE W

Interview Ross McFetrich, Steve Derkacz and Clayton Strine (CJ) of Custom Surface Solutions discuss the development of their company and its relationship both with Aqua Mix and the stone industry in general with Discovering Stone magazine.

Q: For those who aren’t familiar with the name, can you explain who Custom Surface Solutions are?

A:Custom Surface Solutions are the national distributor of Aqua Mix, an award winning brand of stone and tile care products. We also provide technical advice, onsite support, instore product training, custom specifications and advice to all retailers and end users. Our company was established in 2015 and specialises solely in the distribution of Aqua Mix stone and tile care products.

Q: Who is involved in the running of the business and how do you operate?

A: Custom Surface Solutions is run by a small team of motivated and experienced individuals. Clayton Strine (CJ) has been involved in the development, distribution and application of stone care products for the past 15 years and directly involved with Aqua Mix for the past five years. Ross McFetrich has been professionally installing, cleaning and

sealing stone for the past 25 years, and 15 years of those years using the Aqua Mix products. Steve Derkacz has been servicing the tile, stone and brick industry for the past 38 years, and directly involved with Aqua Mix for the past 6 years. Together we provide our customers with a broad range of knowledge and experience. We are also supported by Scott Worthington who is the director of international business for Custom Building Products (the US manufacturer of Aqua Mix).

Scott has been directly involved in some of the world’s largest stone projects: he has also published many technical articles and presentations for the stone industry.

Q: Where are you based and how many staff do you employ?

A: We are based in Sydney at Seven Hills and we have three staff dedicated to technical sales, and an additional three others involved in administration and accounts. We hope to employ more staff as our business continues to grow.

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Q: Is this a new company, a renamed one or an established one that has not been involved in the stone industry in Australia up to now?

A: Custom Surface Solutions is a new company that has recently taken over the distribution of Aqua Mix products in Australia and parts of Asia. These products have been available on the Australian market for 25 years and the global market for 40 years.

Q What industries do you service and what is the range of products you make/distribute?

A: Custom Surface Solutions distributes a range of Aqua Mix products to the stone and tile, brick and landscape industries. These include high performance water-based sealers, specialty stone cleaners, epoxy grout colourants and innovative problem solving products. We also provide products to niche markets, including new and emerging terrazzo manufacturers. In addition to this, we provide specialist technical 40

INT ERVIE W

38 specifications to the architectural industry.

Q: Why did Custom Building Products (the US manufacturer) choose Custom Surface Solutions to represent the brand in Australia and parts of Asia?

A: Aqua Mix and the stone and tile care industry are both very technical.

They require specialised skills, knowledge and experience to ensure the customer gets the right system of care in place to protect their installation and investment. Custom Surface Solutions offered Aqua Mix the most knowledgeable staff and resources in Australia to continue the national supply and growth of Aqua Mix into the foreseeable future. Getting a company with this much experience is uncommon in our industry hence

our plans to have Custom Surface Solutions broaden their sales and technical support into plates of the growing Asian market. Scott Worthington Q: What makes Custom Surface Solutions stand out from the crowd?

A: Custom Surface Solutions provides the Australian market with premium quality products and quality customer service. We have a consistent supply of products and provide a prompt and reliable service to all of our customers.

We have passion and a willingness to assist when a specialised solution is required for our customers.

Q: Where do you and your company see the stone care market moving?

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A: We see the stone industry continually growing at a healthy rate. We also see the need for stone to be sold in a more formal way. Installers are constantly seeking our advice on stone installation methods, especially. More detailed information regarding presealing, correct adhesives, grout haze removal, sealing and maintenance should be provided to ensure stone issues are minimised.

With minimising installation problems and better information given, designers, architects and homeowners will be able to make a more educated decision in selecting the right stone for their application. This is where our team of experienced technicians excels and can assist stone suppliers with providing the correct technical information. â—?

STONE I N THE B UI LT ENV I R ON ME N T

A timeless, transformational landscape Bunurong Memorial Park, south east of Melbourne, was designed to be a timeless, transformational landscape that would alter forever the public perception of memorial parks.

Created by the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, this striking Australian sanctuary has been designed to respectfully honour and celebrate life within vast and vibrant native parkland.

By International Correspondent Joe Simpson

I

nterestingly, Bunurong is also intended for daily community enjoyment and thus features a café and children’s playground, distinctive art pieces and walking paths that allow visitors to experience the changing seasons.

Although it is laid out on a vast scale, Bunurong Memorial Park is characterised by intimate, sensoryrich spaces and distinctive internal native gardens. Protected by a broad tree canopy, these outdoor ‘rooms’ provide perfect spaces for peaceful reflection and remembrance. The natural landscape is complemented by strong textural elements, sculptures and integrated waterways, and attracts abundant birds and wildlife.

Bunurong Memorial Park was established in 1995 when the administration office was built and the road construction completed. The major earth works and landscaping started also more than 20 years ago, including an extensive irrigation system. The first burial occurred on 8 February 1996 and, since then, over 30,000 burials and cremations have taken place within the 100 hectare site.

Bunurong Memorial Park serves all of Australia’s citizens, regardless of culture, religion or personal preference.

The development and enhancement of the park has continued in the intervening years, Indeed it was only in April 2016 that Australian Native Landscape Construction (ANLC) received Practical Completion for Bunurong.

Engaged by main contractor, Hansen Yuncken, and its client, Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries

Trust, to be part of the $50 million redevelopment of this eye-catching facility, ANLC delivered a complex range of effects across the site. The latest stage of the project had a distinctive Australian theme with native plants combined with rusted steel landscape walls, red earth paths

and grassed berms combining to create a memorable visitor experience.

The aim is that this facility will meet the population of Melbourne’s internment needs for at least the next 70 years, while simultaneously providing visitors with state-of-the-art function facilities and activity areas. 42

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ANLC’s construction works included decorative exposed aggregate and gravel pathways, feature paving, a central purpose-made water feature, in-situ concrete retaining walls, feature precast and Corten steel walls and subsurface drainage. ANLC also installed an irrigation system as well as planting over 900 trees and more than 67,000 Australian native plants. In addition, ANLC laid 50,000 m2 of lawn.

Bunurong Memorial Park has four distinctive Reflection Spaces, which are designed to accommodate a variety of events, such as family gatherings, plays, concerts and weddings, as well as locations for quiet reflection.

The project architects, BVN used a 7.5 tonne sliding glass façade for Bunurong’s chapel facility.

Australian industrial design firm, Tilt, collaborated with BVN on the design of the façade, which wraps the front of a lake-side building. The façade features three curved glass panes, forming a floor-to-ceiling window that can be lowered to waist-height to allow openair access to the environment or raised to offer protection from the elements.

Approximately 7 metres long and 2.5 metres high, each window is raised and lowered by synchronised electric actuators to ensure quiet operation.

The chapel, cantilevered over a lake, thus can offer visitors open air access

if desired, or protection from the elements when necessary.

Designed by BVN in collaboration with Aspect Studios, Bunurong Memorial Park features distinctive gardens arranged as a connected suite of intimate and public spaces bound by ‘quiet’ buildings with transparent portals that open directly to the garden setting.

BVN Principal, Jane Williams, notes that the series of garden vistas and rooms are linked to the existing lake, now reimagined as the ‘heart’ of a broader network that will include future stages. Buildings incorporating reflection spaces (chapels), function rooms, café, florist and service centre are intended to support the widest possible range of reflective and celebratory events.

According to Williams, a pedestrian commemoration bridge that connects the central gardens to the curvilinear outdoor chapel, which opens directly to the lake, is a design highlight.

Focussing on the use of identifiably Australian materials and detailing, Bunurong features distinctive native plants combined with sympathetic hard landscaping.

The eucalypt timber joinery, and interior and exterior colours, are designed so that the buildings offer a reverential

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background to the colour and energy of the gardens.

The stone products that make such an important contribution to the project’s outstanding hard landscaping were manufactured and supplied by Stonevue. One of Australia’s leading manufacturers of hydraulic-pressed large format commercial pavers, Stonevue offers an extensive range of pavers and stairs that combine strength, style and durability. These are manufactured to Australian and New Zealand standards using proven European technology.

Established in 2003, Stonevue was established to satisfy market demand for superior commercial pavers that combine high density, low porosity and identical dimensions. Stonevue is available Australia-wide, in the AsiaPacific region and the Middle East .

At Bunurong Memorial Park, Tract Consultants specified the Dromana Gold design for the Terravue range, alongside the Langwarren Blue design from the Urbanvue range.

The entrance to the main building of the memorial park was enhanced by contrasting colour, size and patterning of these two designs which were selected from the warm tones of Terravue and the cool shades of Urbanvue. ● * Photography by John Gollings

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MACH IN ERY

Biesse Group

AWISA: not just a wood show At the AWISA 2016 exhibition there were a number of leading glass, stone and plastic processing machines on display and we take a brief look at them here.

By Philip Ashley

Biesse Group The Biesse Group presented its biggest selling stone processing machine in Australia; the Intermac Master 33 3-axis work centre. The Master 33 was designed to eliminate static and dynamic torque to improve stability and accuracy. The 14-station rotating tool holder can be loaded while the machine is working.

The Donatoni JET 625 is a new product in the Biesse Group. The 5-axis bridge saw is capable of cutting any stone or similar product into any shape.

The intelligent management system allows the optimising of several pieces from the same slab for quality and minimises waste.

The Rover Plast J is a relative newcomer to the Biesse range for

Breton

processing expanded and compact plastic materials, composites and cardboards with oscillating and tangential knife devices and camera recognition of the components to be cut.

Breton At AWISA Breton exhibited its Smart Cut SNC 550 Optima bridge saw. The machine is equipped with a hydraulic tilting table and rotating head to perform multiple machining

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operations such as cutting slabs, shaping, drilling and engraving. A vacuum manipulator moves the sawn pieces during the cutting cycle without any human intervention.

Touch-probe measurement of the slab and digital photo capability to optimise the slab for cutting is also included. The user interface is a touch screen colour monitor that allows the programmer to manipulate the finished products on the photo of the slab by fingertip. 46

C.M.P. Stonemason Supplies Pty Ltd

7 Bolt Court Hallam VIC – 3803 Ph: 03 87863113 Fax: 03 87863115 Email—sales@cmpstone.com.au & sales1@cmpstone.com.au As the trend is moving towards the more fashionable Dekton, Neolith, Lapitech, Kerlite and other Porcelain materials in slab and tile formats - Italdiamant is at the forefront of research and development working together with each of the manufacturers of these products to enable the cutting, grinding, coring and shaping processes to be performed by all stonemasons. These new materials have provided many challenges for stone bench-top fabricators; now solutions are available.

Dekton Bridgesaw Blades All Sizes

Dekton Core Drill Bit—1/2 GasThread For use on CNC Stations

Dekton Vacuum Brazed Core Drill 5mm—35mm

125mm Thin Dekton Dry Cutting Blade

Dekton Vacuum Brazed Core Drill M14—27mm—60mm

Dekton Milling Finger 1/2 GasThread CNC Station

CMP Stonemason Supplies takes great pride in having been the Australian agent & distributor of all Italdiamant products since the year 2000. The introduction of these materials has been rapid and the advancements made with tooling development include 125mm grinder blades, 350mm Mitre saw blades, 400 and 450mm bridge saw blades for cutting Dekton. These same blades are also suitable for all of the porcelain materials. CNC Milling Fingers, 35mm CNC core bits and a wide range of Vacuum-brazed core bits from 5mm to 60mm are made by Italdiamant and available from CMP Stonemason Supplies.

MACH IN ERY 44

Not at the show but also available through Breton are CNC work centres, Levibreton polishing machines, diamond wire cutting equipment and waterjet cutting machines.

CDK Stone CDK Stone exhibited a range of machinery and tools for the production of stone bench tops as well as its exclusive Neolith sintered compact surfaces that feature a wide range of contemporary colours as well as natural stone designs.

Machines on display included a fully automated CNC saw from Gmm (Italy), which has a vacuum manipulator to move the sawn pieces during the cutting cycle. The thickness of the stone slab and tool wear are automatically measured to ensure perfectly metered cuts.

For the first time at an Australian trade show CDK Stone exhibited a 5 axis ABB Robot from T&D Robotics (Italy) that can perform multiple functions including cutting with a saw blade, water jet cutting, shaping, profiling and engraving as well as load and unload with a vacuum manipulator. This machine represents the latest in cutting edge technology in the stone industry and is gaining rapid interest from producers of kitchen benchtops.

Wood Tech Group Denver is the brand recently welcomed into the Wood Tech Group.

At AWISA a CNC machining centre and bridge saw were on display to

CDK Stone

launch the brand into Australia.

Denver stone and glass processing machines are made in San Marino and the company has a 30-year history producing no less than 16 different models including CNC workcentres,

Multicam

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bridge saws, block cutting machines and waterjet machines.

Multicam Multicam is proficient in a wide range of different materials such as cardboard, acrylics, thermoplastics, vinyls and foams. The machinery used for different products are similar and in some cases exactly the same as for wood processing. Specialist tools, machine tables and fixtures may be necessary and software designed for the product is available.

One instance of Multicam’s technical expertise is the Vision System for large-format print and cut signage applications. The printed material is used to locate the parts to be printed and even find and correct distortions in the printed image. Multicam also supplies oscillating and tangential knife cutting machines for cardboards and foam boards. �

MACH IN ERY

Business owners Trent and Rochelle Bates.

Adding stone keep business growing Pro Form Tops of Cairns in Far North Queensland is a diverse business providing laminates, hardware, flat-pack kitchens and post-formed bench tops.

D

irector Trent Bates was one of the first manufacturers in the Cairns area to see the traditional post-formed bench top market turning with a slight downsizing of that part of the business. They needed to diversify to maintain their current business and grow into new markets.

Stone was the answer but it had to meet the quality and performance standards set by the existing product range. And so, after speaking with the Biesse Group, five years ago Director Trent Bates added stone tops to the company’s wide range of products.

To manufacture the stone tops, Intermac machinery, a Biesse Group company, provides Pro Form with the performance and operating security Trent needs to keep his customers satisfied. The business is now a onestop shop for the 70% of builders and cabinet makers in the region who don’t manufacture themselves.

Trent already had several Biesse machines in the cabinet section and turned to the Biesse Group once again for his stone processing equipment.

NQ Acrylic & Stone surfaces was the new division that, along with Cabinet

Code Hardware, Laminates North and Pro Form Tops services a vast area from Torres Straits and Thursday Island in the North to Yeppoon and Brisbane in the South. Products also go to the Mossman, Port Douglas and Atherton Tablelands areas and some product even makes its way as far south as Melbourne.

With such a vast area and diverse range of customers, NQ Acrylic & Stone surfaces needed equipment that was versatile, fast, easy to program and operate but, most of all, reliable. Reliability is everything if your supplier is a 19 hour road-trip away. Bench tops need to be available when the cabinets are ready to be shipped. It’s a long way to send the tops in a separate consignment so the machines have to work whenever they are required. Regularly waiting for a part is not an option so Trent decided to trust the Intermac brand with the new venture.

At the time there were a few stone masons in the Cairns area servicing the trade with traditional methods but this was slow and costly. Trent initially put on a very good tradesperson but Trent’s own knowledge as a qualified

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cabinet maker led him to focus on technology to achieve the output and quality he was looking for. At first his stone masons were slow to appreciate the new technology and preferred doing things by hand but this soon turned around and now, “They would never go back,” said Trent.

The first machines to be installed were a bridge saw and one Intermac Master 33 CNC processing centre.

Trent said: “We knew what part of the market we were losing so we thought it wouldn’t be too long before we needed another CNC machine.”

That went in six months later and was followed by a third Master 33 eighteen months after that.

“We also put in a water filtration system that Intermac helped us with,” said Trent. “It all went very fast but we planned for it; we knew what the stone manufacturing would be worth to us so it was a sound investment.

The growth is where we expected it to be and we’re happy with how it’s rolling,” he continued.

Their cabinet product is all flatpack but is of very high quality. Pro Form uses the slot and rebate system to ensure the cabinet parts line up

perfectly. It takes a little longer and uses slightly more material but the reliability of the product keeps his customers coming back. They are very good at what they do and use their Biesse equipment very well. It’s a high performing business and needs high performing equipment. The Biesse service had been excellent and when Trent went to Biesse to talk about his plans for stone top manufacture, the Intermac professionals were very helpful and made the realisation of the new stone workshop a smooth and painless process.

Trent said: “We moved into the stone processing full-steam.

Dollars weren’t really an issue: we were confident that we had done our research well. We put on the right people and relied on Biesse and Intermac to deliver the right solutions. The transition was really easy and it only took a few days to get up to speed with the new equipment.”

Trent added: “We’re very happy with Biesse – especially their service.

The thing about Biesse and Intermac is that they are prepared to show us what the service and problem issues are and how to do it ourselves. It saves us a lot of money and downtime. It’s not about coming out and charging us – it’s more about working with us to ensure all our issues are resolved immediately. We’re at the end of the Earth here and Biesse doesn’t keep us in the dark; they’re prepared to share information with us.”

Trent is currently doing a second apprenticeship in stonemasonry so he’s able to fully understand the processes and his customer’s needs. They sold a hardware store on Thursday Island and his sister Rochelle Wienert has relocated to the Cairns facility as a codirector. Rochelle runs the showroom and the laminate and hardware part of the business that was originally set up by their father. He still pops in now and then –“more than he should,” jokes Trent.

Biesse and Intermac has provided Pro Form with a manufacturing advantage to supply complete solutions to the building and cabinet making trade. It’s not just kitchens but laundries and alfresco outdoor cooking where stone bench tops can be used to great design effect.

Cairns is experiencing slow growth at the moment but it is growing. The tourist trade keeps the local economy bubbling along and Pro Form has done its fair share of upmarket projects in Port Douglas and Cairns. Competitors often come up from Brisbane for the big projects and they “keep it real,” said Trent. “They tend to affect the local

market a little but they’re not in it for the long run: we are. We have a good, loyal customer base here and our quality and service keeps them coming back.

Our quality starts with our equipment and that’s why we choose Biesse as our machinery partner.”

NQ Acrylic & Stone surfaces is a leader in the stone bench top industry.

There are others in the area but the Intermac speed and accuracy has them beat. There are currently nine people working in the stone section and they are able to meet current market demands with ease. The equipment has not reached capacity and there is room to grow as the market improves. This may be slow in the foreseeable future but Pro Form has planned well.

“We have room to absorb more work when it comes: there’s a lot more commercial work coming through. We recently fitted out a large high-rise in Townsville,” said Trent.

Pro Form maintains a top quality showroom and is well-supported by its suppliers. Rochelle makes sure that customers get the very latest products in the knowledge that the Biesse Intermac equipment can handle every product.

With over 20 years’ experience and involvement in North Queensland, Trent and Rochelle are building a business for the long run and their investment in the Biesse Group ensures that they can meet present and future demands.

“We’re not trying to overtake the market: we’re moving with it, providing our customers what they want. We’ll make it happen with Biesse and Intermac,” said Trent. ●

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 49

MACH IN ERY

CDK Stone Open Day Discovering Stone went along to the CDK Stone Melbourne open-house in August, just after the highly successful AWISA show, to enjoy CDK’s hospitality and catch up with the latest equipment CDK has on offer.

It was a great opportunity to experience everything CDK can supply; all under the one roof. I caught up with Peter Mitchelhill; Nigel Finney and Andrew Miller who were on hand to host well over a hundred visitors on a cool evening but with plenty to see, good food and good company.

By Philip Ashley

C

DK Stone is a one-stop shop for everything stone.

In addition to a complete range of processing machinery, CDK also provide everything else from water recycling and treatment plants to laser templating equipment; CAD CAM design and production scheduling software; diamond and silicon carbide abrasives and cutting tools; ISO cones and vacuum pods and portable and hand-held equipment.

As far as machinery goes they are one of the major suppliers of bridge saws, water jet and CNC processing centres for the stone industry. The range is huge and covers every aspect of the stone processing industry.

From the German Burkhardt sawing and CNC work centres through to the hugely popular Italian GMM bridge saws; the French Thibaut CNC work centres with a massive stone slab table; The Italian Cobalm

Processing robot.

surface polishing machine and the Australian-made Techni waterjet cutting machines, CDK has the best the world has to offer.

CDK has been supplying natural stone products to the Australian market since 1982 and is one of the largest stone distributors in the country. With such a long history CDK also has long-term commitments with well-known brands such as GMM (15 years) and Thibaut (30 years) so you can rest assured that you’re not going to get Extensive range of stone.

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stuck with a machine and no support.

The open house showcased the latest equipment from their extensive range including a T&D Robotic installation capable of handling sawing, milling and water jet cutting of stone and other products such as concrete, marble, granite, composites and glass. The robot is a compromise between the traditional bridge saw and the CNC and waterjet technologies.

With a possible 20 kitchen tops produced every day in a space smaller

All accessories.

Water jet cutting.

than 60 square metres and with no operators, it’s no wonder that worldwide sales of the robotic technology has increased 20% in the last year.

Add to the already impressive array of functions the robot is capable of, the possibility of wire cutting and relief and engraving and the robot takes on a whole new perspective for any company wishing to expand their business.

As with most of the machines at the open house, the robot was running through a series of routines

Thibaut CNC.

to demonstrate its reach and range of possible functions.

A very interesting new development from the French Thibaut company will be radio controlled vacuum pods that will eliminate the messy cables, hoses and a vacuum pump common to CNC processing centres. CDK was waiting on Government (licensing) approval to use the frequency but when this is all sorted out the technology could be a game-changer.

You can save up to 50% of the clamping time with the new Octopod from Thibaut that runs off rechargeable batteries that last for 12 hours. The pods can be placed anywhere on the table of several Thibaut CNC machine models that support the new technology and are controlled by the CNC machine itself CDK said: “Beautiful design is in our nature”, so it was no surprise to see the new range of Neolith sintered compact surface that’s perfect for wet areas. Available in a range of colours; the product brings with it plenty of interior design possibilities for both floor and wall applications.

Other firsts included the UCS speed saw blade, ECO chip repair kit and Elipse edge polishing system.●

MACH IN ERY

Superior abrasive waterjet technology changing the stone industry

W

ith over 20 years of innovation creating world-class abrasive waterjet cutting technology, OMAX became the first company to make abrasive waterjet machining more affordable and easy to use.

OMAX has over 4000 systems in 63 countries around the world.

That amount of coverage provides an unrivalled level of feedback and input. This ensures OMAX is always at the forefront of abrasive waterjet technology. With a focus on research and development, OMAX has one of the largest in-house teams that constantly work towards new innovations in waterjet technology.

With two product lines consisting of the OMAX waterjet and the MAXIEM waterjet ranges, OMAX has a machining system to suit a number of different manufacturing needs.

Stone manufacturers choosing to work with the OMAX range of waterjets do so as their high efficiency and accuracy is well known in the industry.

OMAX’s range of waterjet systems use a unique Intelli-Trax drive system

designed specifically for the abrasive waterjet environment. The superior technology in both hardware and software means the customer will cut faster with an OMAX system while using less power and less consumable items such as abrasive.

With the OMAX range of waterjets, stone manufacturers will be able to cut a number of different materials including natural stone, engineered stone and ceramic.

OMAX, made exclusively in the USA, has a strong, decade long relationship with Australian based company Headland Machinery.

Headland Machinery offers the full range of OMAX and MAXIEM machines to manufacturers throughout Australia.

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Headland has over 60 years industry experience supplying high quality machines throughout Australia. With its large service team nationwide, Headland holds a large stock of parts so is well equipped to supply genuine OMAX spare parts and has certified engineers to assist customers with maintenance of their machines.

Taking advantage of this technology is Australian manufacturer GMG Stone, which was founded in 2002 and supplies marble, granite and limestone to perform custom fabrication for architects, builders, contractors and designers.

GMG Stone currently has two OMAX waterjets in operation at

54

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MACH IN ERY 52

its head office on the Gold Coast plus a recent installation of the Maxiem 2040 at the new factory in Melbourne.

Javier Lewis, Operations Manager at GMG Stone Melbourne, says the waterjet machines have improved efficiency in the business.

“We have been using waterjets for a number of years and they have improved our efficiency as well as reduced chips and blemishes. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the machine,” said Javier.

“When it came to evaluating our options we took some samples to be cut and in the end the OMAX performed the best.

About OMAX Assisting more than 210 start-up companies achieve their dream, OMAX and MAXIEM’s revolutionary abrasive waterjet systems are one of the world’s most versatile manufacturing technologies.

Operating in 63 countries since 1993, OMAX Corporation became the first company to make abrasive waterjet machining more precise, affordable and easy-to-use.

Designing and producing its own

pumps, high-pressure plumbing, machine controllers, software, tables and accessories, OMAX cements its place as a supplier of the most extensive array of accessories in the industry.

Included in OMAX’s design folio is the award winning Tilt-A-Jet, the only taper elimination cutting head in the world.

About Headland Headland supplies innovative and high-quality machines and services to customers throughout

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Australia and New Zealand in the manufacturing industry. Established in 1949, Headland is a privately owned family company with a passion for technology and superior service that delivers a sustained competitive advantage through improved productivity. ●

We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the machine.”

P R OJ EC T SP OT LI GH T

A multi-sensory dining experience An experimental food concept and menu featured in four Tom Dixon designed Caesarstone kitchens and dining halls creating a multi-sensory dining experience.

L

eading quartz manufacturer Caesarstone, in collaboration with British designer Tom Dixonl, presented a unique food concept at ‘The RESTAURANT

by Caesarstone & Tom Dixon’ at Milan’s Children’s Museum (MUBA) in the Rotonda della Besana during the 2016 Milan Design Festival.

A collection of recipes curated by Italian food design studio Arabeschi di Latte explored the power of nature’s elements in a menu that combined traditional matter with modern techniques. Cooking live from the kitchens, the chefs created a multi-sensory dining experience that incorporates rare, element-inspired cooking techniques with fresh and unique ingredients. Each course was prepared and served in four Tom Dixon designed Caesarstone kitchens and dining halls created to allow the visitor to relax and experience the latest ideas in materiality, luminosity and texture.

Reflecting each individual element through colour and texture, Caesarstone surfaces provide an ideal platform for the overall dining

experience, from the initial cooking process to the final delivery.

• The Earth kitchen incorporated Caesarstone’s Tuscan Dawn and Concetto Albero surfaces in warm brown and earthy tones.

• The Fire kitchen utilised Caesarstone’s dramatic blacks and dark greys seen in the Coastal Grey, Raven and Vanilla Noir.

• The Water kitchen showcased a spectrum of grey and white tonalities: Caesarstone’s Fresh Concrete, Statuario Nuvo, Nugat, Cosmopolitan White and Sleek Concrete.

• Reflecting the lightness of air, the Air kitchen used soft tonalities of Caesarstone’s Noble Grey and Raw Concrete. *Images by Amandine Alessandra 1. Established in 2002, Tom Dixon is a British product design brand. With a commitment to innovation and a mission to revive the British furniture industry, the brand is inspired by the nation’s unique heritage and produces extraordinary objects for everyday use. www.tomdixon.net/

www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | 55

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Consumer research confirms future growth of Neolith Sintered compact surfaces (SCS) such as Neolith from CDK are becoming increasingly popular in the Australian and international markets, particularly for kitchen benchtops, to provide advanced properties in durability, stain, heat and scratch resistance over some traditional materials.

Some key findings in recent online market research conducted by CDK Stone revealed: • a high proportion were prepared to pay considerably more for sintered compact surfaces like Neolith over other stone materials; • durability was seen as the most essential quality for selecting benchtops followed closely by scratch and heat resistance by the highest proportion of respondents.

Neolith is relatively new to Australia compared to the USA and Europe where growth has been consistently strong.

CDK STONE 03 8552 6000 www.cdkstone.com.au

56 | DISCOVERING STONE #29 | www.discoveringstonemagazine.com.au

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TECHNI Waterjet Cutters are the preferred cutting tool for stone fabricators using modern stones such as Dekton, Neolith, or Maximum Fiandre.

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Watch our video, bevel cutting a Dekton bench top! Scan the QR code with your smart phone or visit our You Tube page!

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Innovation Through Passion

N EW S

Medieval masonry from Canterbury Cathedral to be auctioned

This September offered bidders a unique opportunity to acquire a genuine piece of early 15th century masonry taken from Canterbury Cathedral, the centre of the Anglican Church in England founded by St Augustine in the 7th century AD. An online auction held on 24 September saw 140 lots up for sale; the stone coming from the massive 16m high by 7m great south window, which has been hidden behind scaffolding since 2009 during painstaking repairs.

The cathedral’s own masons have worked on the stone, replacing it where necessary with Lavoux à Grain French limestone, which offered the bed heights of more than one metre needed for the mullions.

The window was a 15th century addition to the cathedral. The full restored window will be dedicated on 1 October but, before then, the old masonry from the window was sold off at auction. The lots varied from pieces of masonry sold in pairs up to larger individual masonry pieces that were sold as stand-alone architectural ornaments.

The Size launches 3rd annual design competition The Size, the company behind sintered surface brand Neolith, has launched its third annual international design competition. Split into three categories, this award highlights creativity and innovation in designs incorporating Neolith surfacing by architects, interior designers, builders, students and, for the first time, fabricators. In each category, judges will evaluate originality, creativity, technical complexity and environmental sensitivity.

The first category, My Neolith Project, targets design professionals that have recently developed a major residential project incorporating Neolith in multiple applications, such as façades, flooring, cladding, kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, swimming pools and more. To be eligible, the project must have been completed between 2012 and 2016.

This year’s Neolith New Talents is targeting architecture and interior design students enrolled in at least one class from 2015 to 2017. Entrants must design a two-storey urban micro-apartment, that includes an outdoor terrace. This space must integrate Neolith in multiple spaces and applications, such as kitchen, bathroom, flooring and cladding.

Projects must display high design, without compromising functionality.

This year The Size has added a Top Fabricator of the Year category that will recognise the most meticulous and labour-intensive projects made by fabricators with Neolith slabs. Projects will be evaluated as ‘small, great pieces of art’ that are technically complicated and require outstanding knowledge, ingenuity and the skills to produce them.

The closing date for competition entries is 2 December 2016, and the winners will be announced on 20 December 2016. The prizes include an all-inclusive trip to a prominent industry tradeshow and are valued anywhere from $1,650 to $5,500.

For more information, visit www. neolith.com and click on the Highlights section.

Gold detailing adds value to stone range

on price against China, India, Brazil and other low-wage economies, Italian producers are using design skills and more sophisticated technology to differentiate themselves in the market.

For Antolini, whose range already includes exotic and semi-precious stones, the latest innovation is stone with a splash of gold.

Antolini bills its Black Absolute Gold Design as ‘a fusion of modern and classical worlds. Lavish golden threads run seamlessly through dark polished granite in a captivating fashion. This detailing evokes a regal sense of modernism that both elevates and inspires’.

Black Absolute Gold is the latest addition Antolini’s Natural Collection.

Artisan Group gets together in Texas

The fifth annual Artisan group meeting and industry showcase was held at Architectural Granite & Marble’s HQ in Austin, Texas, in April. The show saw the launch of the group’s newest product line, Aventine Quartz.

The group meeting included a workshop by Jaynie L Smith, author of ‘Creating Competitive Advantage.’

“We always have a great time getting together to celebrate our successes of the past year, and our plans for the next year,” said Chad Seiders, Executive Director. “However, this year was even more cause for celebration because we launched our own quartz line and have added two new member companies.”

USA stone survey now in it’s sixth year The latest innovation from Italian stone supplier Antolini aims to add value to the stones it supplies to markets across the world. Unable to compete

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Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants (CTaSC) has published its sixth annual stone survey. More than 1,582 manufacturers, quarries, importers, distributors and fabricators were invited to take the survey.

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Participants answered a series of questions based on their business category. Importers and distributors were quizzed on the types of stone they buy and sell, slab and tile sizes, sales by type of customers and sales by types of applications. Fabricators were asked to answer questions about their fabrication business, including equipment and tool brands, purchase and selling price of stone, annual sales and types of finished products and stone types that are fabricated.

The 2015 Stone Survey results are included in the Catalina 2015 Natural and Manufactured Stone Product Industry Report. This comprehensive publication provides an in-depth analysis of the USA and Canadian stone industry. It contains data on market size, growth potential, enduse markets, factors driving demand, profitability, market share and the competitive environment.

Cosentino sponsors global restaurant awards

Stone surfacing company Cosentino joined the global gastronomy community as a sponsor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, held in New York. The 15th annual event marks the first time it has been hosted in the USA, and the sixth time Cosentino has sponsored of the awards.

During the gala, which declared Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Italy to be the World’s Best Restaurant 2016, Cosentino presented A Taste of Dekton in partnership with New York’s Ample Hills. Chefs, restaurateurs and food industry professionals enjoyed gourmet ice cream prepared by Ample Hills atop a display of Dekton to illustrate the ultra-compact material’s unique ability to withstand extreme temperatures and heavy usage without scratches or stains.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants provides a snapshot of the greatest gastronomic experiences across the globe. In 2017 the event will be held in Melbourne.

Coverings confirms its influence and importance The organisers claim that the 2016 Coverings show strengthened the event’s position as the leading international tile and stone exhibition in North America. More than 25,000 industry professionals attended the week long expo, held in April 2016.

This figure represents a 15% increase on the 2009 total, the last year Coverings was held in Chicago. This year’s most impressive attendance segment was distributors, which were up 18% on 2009.

Coverings 2017 will be held between 4 and 7 April in Orlando, Florida.

Fox Marble looks to raise £2 million from shares Fox Marble, the London Stock Exchange AIM-listed company that quarries marble from Kosovo and the Balkans, is raising another £2 million from shareholders to pay for a new factory in Kosovo.

Proceeds from the share placing will also provide additional working capital, pay for training 200 people and help expand Fox’s sales and distribution network.

Laticrete expands its Texas facility

Laticrete is expanding its manufacturing and distribution facility in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Construction of the 70,000 sq. foot addition to the existing facility is expected to be completed by Spring

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2017. The Grand Prairie facility is the company’s largest manufacturing and distribution centre outside of the Laticrete HQ in Bethany, Connecticut.

The expanded space will be used immediately for warehousing and will position the facility to meet potential future manufacturing needs.

The plant expansion coincides with a period of unprecedented growth for the family-owned company. Over the past three years Laticrete has acquired three companies and expanded the product lines it offers. It also recently completed an expansion of a similar facility in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Marmomacc promotes Verona stone fair across the globe A new promotion initiative by VeronafiereMarmomacc – We Speak Stone – has been held in New York.

The event was supported by ten of the most important companies in the Veronese stone district and featured some of the world’s most renowned architects.

This was the debut for an extensive international campaign aimed at established and emerging markets in the natural stone field.

Marmomacc also proposed educational seminars in collaboration with Stone Trends International and Mapei.

The natural stone- sector is very important to Italy’s economy; with the overall value of exports standing at Euro 3.2 billion in 2015.

Marmomacc’s relationship with the USA is well established. During the last edition of Marmomacc in 2015, American professional attendance grew by 23.7% to 1,700.

The 51st edition of Marmomacc was held in Verona, Italy from 28 September to 1 October and was covered by Discovering Stone’s International Correspondent, Joe Simpson.

50 year retrospective at Marmomacc Hall 1 of this year’s Marmomacc stone exhibition in Verona hosted a retrospective of the past 50 years of Italian design in stone. Since the 1960s, numerous objects in marble have been included in the catalogues of leading Italian design brands, The exhibition, called 50 Years of Living Marble, featured marble objects from the collections and archives of historic design companies alongside more recent stone sector products.

Curated by architect Vincenzo Pavan, the retrospecive aimed to encourage renewed enthusiasm for the use of marble in design, especially given the new opportunities presented by digital technologies.

New Dimension Stone Design Manual published

MIA+BSI: The Natural Stone Institute has released edition eight of the Dimension Stone Design Manual; the USA stone industry’s singlesource reference for dimensional stone design and construction details.

Major revisions and additions in the latest edition include a new restoration and maintenance chapter covering equipment, repairs, sealers, restorative processes and working with commercial and historic buildings; in addition to a 16-page troubleshooting chart containing over 128 photos illustrating common problems and solutions.

Also new is a tolerances chapter, incorporating the September 2014 technical bulletin Tolerances in the Dimension Stone Industry. This

new chapter is formatted as an easy-to-read chart divided into three sectors: stone fabrication, installation and substrate condition tolerances.

There is also a revised wet areas chapter, incorporating the 2013 Wet Areas Technical Module and 19 additional pages of large scale detail drawings.

The manual is available for download in the ‘members only’ section of the MIA+BSI website at www.marble-institute.com.

Seminar set to look at construction’s future The Future of Design: Materials, Sustainability and Context is the title of a seminar held on 29 September at Marmomacc.

Presented in collaboration with Architectural Record, it was moderated by Cathleen McGuigan, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. The panel comprised Duncan Swinhoe, Managing Director of Gensler, London; Shawn Duffy, Managing Principal of KPF, London; and Richard Olcott, Design Partner with Ennead, New York.

These renowned architects discussed current trends in architecture, in particular construction methods, sustainability and strategies to adapt projects to local contexts and conditions. Natural stone featured prominently in the discussion.

Calacatta wins award for the Neolith portfolio

Neolith, the sintered surfacing brand manufactured by Spanish company The Size, has won a brace of awards for its Calacatta design from the Classtone collection: the 2016

Bronze A’ Design award and the 2016 Architizer A+ Popular Choice award.

Calacatta is suitable for a wide range of interior and exterior applications, seamlessly blending the high-end look of marble with the technical performance of Neolith. It features a bright white backdrop allowing the intricate veining synonymous with the white marbles from Carrara to stand out.

The design is produce using Neolith Digital Design technology.

The A’ Design award is an annual design competition that honours the best designers, architects, engineers, design studios, brands and design-oriented companies worldwide. The Bronze A’ Design award is only given to the top 10% of designs.

The Architizer Awards, created by the well-known web platform for architecture and design, salutes the best in architecture, spaces and products from around the world.

Echelon lightweight veneer launched by Oldcastle Oldcastle Architectural, a USAbased manufacturer of stone and masonry products, launched Echelon at May’s AIA convention in Philadelphia, USA. New products from Echelon Masonry’s Artisan lightweight veneer product line were featured at the show, highlighting the brand’s commitment to providing one-source solutions for the architectural community.

At the AIA booth, Echelon Masonry introduced Westpeak; a new lightweight veneer designed for non-load bearing, tight space applications.

Another Artisan product, the Kensley Collection, was only launched in January 2016.

Along with Hillcrest, all three styles of lightweight veneers are manufactured using Echelon’s drycast system that creates a natural stone look with integrated colour throughout the depth of each unit.

A new one-stop website – www. echelonmasonry.com – provides product information, styles, colours, LEED data and technical information.

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Rugo rewarded for Carrara marble expertise

Rugo Stone has been chosen for the first Best Use of Carrara Marble in North America Award for The Rotunda Renovation project at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The award was presented at the 33rd Carrara Marmotec International Fair of marble, technologies and design in Carrara, Italy in May. The Rotunda Renovation replaced the 16 marble capitals of the University of Virginia’s academic village rotunda, a UNESCO world heritage site designed by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the USA. An 1895 fire destroyed the original capitals carved by the Ricci family of Carrara, which were then replaced with columns from an alternate source.

The new award was created to honour a project whose beauty, creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of Carrara marble in a commercial or residential application in North America.

“While all the projects submitted were impressive, the rotunda renovation prevailed due to the passionate story behind the monument,” said Marco Ragone of IMM Carrara. “There was a special meaning of historical heritage where classicism and modernity were so well mixed and integrated.”

MIA Past President, Guido Gliori of Grazzini Brothers, agreed saying: “In an age where cost saving is king, this renovation’s quality, innovation, and technical problem solving is a winner for our history and the use of natural stone”.

Stone Federation Great Britain is creating an ethical stone register as it moves forward with plans to make ethical trading one of the criteria for membership.

It follows publication by the Building Research Establishment in July of the Ethical Labour Standard, which aims to give organisations a framework to verify their systems and processes in relation to the Modern Slavery Act, allowing them to continuously improve their ethical labour sourcing practices.

As this is beyond the scope of many stone companies, Stone Federation is producing the ethical stone register to offer a practical alternative that will deliver real results in terms of improving the conditions of workers in the supply chain.

David Richardson, a PastPresident of Stone Federation, is preparing the draft of this sectorspecific register.

The All Cannings barrow can be used by anyone, of any religion, race or creed.

The barrow has niches that will carry between one and seven urns of cremated remains. Users can rent the niches for 15 or 25 years, or in perpetuity. Once the time is up, the ashes can be scattered in a nearby wooded area where a commemorative tree can be planted, if required.

The barrow is being built using local stone from the Churchfield Stone Company, which has also produced the York stone slabs that separate the niches horizontally and the hexagonal Portland limestone niches for single burials that fit into them.

No former was used to create the arched dome – the stones were simply corbelled, with no central key stone in the middle. Once the structure is finished it will be covered with earth and grass, to minimise its impact on the landscape.

Fresh take on commemorating the dead

Salvatori opens first London showroom

Stone Federation publishes Ethical Stone register

A company called Sacred Stones is offering a new way of commemorating cremated remains in the UK. The company has been formed by Martin Fildes and Geraint Davies, both stone workers; Toby Angel, an entrepreneur; and Mark Davis, a scientist.

Fildes and Davies were involved in building the new Long Barrow at All Cannings, near Stonehenge; while their latest project is a round barrow on a farm at Hail Weston in Cambridgeshire, UK.

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Salvatori, perhaps best known for Lithoverde recycled stone, has opened its first showroom in London. Situated in a listed building in the heart of the West End, the space will showcase the full range of Salvatori products, including textures for walls and floors, basins, bathtubs and shower trays; together with its home collection. The showroom was designed by Piero Lissoni and styled by Elisa Ossino.

The London showroom follows similar investments in Milan, Zurich and Sydney. 64

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Sourcing stone for historic building repair Historic England has updated its Te c h n i c a l A d v i c e Note titles Sourcing Stone For Historic Building Repair. This is a concise, easy-to-read, practical guide to selecting the right stone for conservation projects. It is aimed at architects, surveyors, engineers, building managers, contractors, conservation officers and owners of historic buildings who need to obtain matching stone for repairing a historic building or monument.

It covers the sourcing of replacement stone from existing quarries, quarries temporarily reopened for the purpose and by re-using stone salvaged from a demolished structure. There is advice on each step, enabling readers to make informed decisions at every stage of the procurement process and thus helping to ensure that any new stone is compatible with the historic fabric of the existing building.

Stone+tec trade fair set for 2018 Following a joint decision by the Stone+tec trade fair’s sponsors, BIV (Association of German Stonemasons) and DNV (German Natural Stone Association); the advisory board and the organisers, the next Stone+tec Trade Fair will take place in 2018 between 13 and 16 June.

Changing the event to run on even years means Stone+tec fits better into the industry calendar for the stone and related sectors, avoids holidays and should help ensure it is a successful event.

Stone+tec 2018 will be held at the Nuremberg exhibition venue, with a new and generous hall layout. The focal points of this international event will continue to be natural stone, stone processing and gravestones.

At the same time, Stone+tec will offer more inspiration for the areas of design, construction and interior construction, and will also look at related materials such as engineered stone and large ceramics.

place on top of it. The stones 50mm thick at the top increasing to 127mm thick at the bottom. When the wood was removed the stones supported themselves as the computer predicted.

Limestone structure wows at the Venice Biennale

Monolithic sculpture makes a statement at Swiss Expo

The Rhino Vault at the Venice Biennale features an extraordinary, computer-designed, self-supporting limestone pavilion bending around the supporting columns in the vaults of the 13th century Corderie dell’Arsenale at this year’s Architecture Biennale in Venice that opened on 28 May and continues until November.

Called The Armadillo Vault, it is made of 399 limestone slabs that span 15.8 metres. It is held together by stone under compression; the same forces that stonemasons have employed for millennia to hold up great structures such as cathedrals. The Armadillo Vault forms a series of conjoined arches. Minimal use of tension ties helps to balance the structure at ground level.

“There’s no way to imagine this kind of shape without computation,” said Philippe Block, Director of the research group at ETH Zurich that developed The Armadillo Vault as part of an exhibition called Beyond Bending. The software used by the Block Research Group is RhinoVault.

It allows architects to manipulate tension and compression forces within a 3D model.

To build the pavilion in the stone from a West Texas quarry, the masons had to have each individual stone produced and numbered for its specific location. They then built a wooden form and laid the stones in

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At Swiss Expo, held in Saint Gotthard-Massif, Switzerland, a massive monolith named Water for Europe, and made from 24 tons of carved Cresciano granite, was on display. The sculpture, which represents the mountainous Alpine region that is the source of four major European rivers, was designed and fabricated by Ongaro Granites Co, using technology from to Italian machine manufacturer GMM. A 3D computer model was used as a basis for the CAD CAM software to generate the working process on the natural stone. The work was carried out with three types of different tools/ processing. A blade was used to carve the material, followed by a machine that gave the material a further rough texture. The final step was performed with a milling tool.

Xiamen International Stone Fair Xiamen Stone Fair 2017 will take place 6 to 9 March, 2017 at Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center (XICEC), China.

It’s estimated to cover the total exhibition area of 180,000 square meters, gathering more than 2,000 exhibitors from 56 countries and over 150,000 trade buyers from 154 countries and regions attend to the show.

The purpose of this fair is to display new products, new technology and equipments, create business opportunities and improve the communication of global stone industry, so as to promote for the development of the whole stone industry and increase trading volume. www.stonefair.org.cn ●

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