🔍For more than 2 years, JuraLimestone GmbH has been operating in Russia. One could say we are still at the very beginning of our journey. At the same time, we have gained interesting and unique experience participating in projects, both on building facades and in interior finishing. We have already had our first victories and first failures, although as the wise say, any experience is valuable; the main thing is to draw conclusions in a timely manner.
One of the main conclusions we had to draw is the need for evidence-based data regarding the warranty of stone durability. This issue concerns literally all participants in construction, from the architect to the client themselves.
In accordance with the current regulations (GOST 13377-2014, EN 12371, etc.), the durability of building materials in general and natural stone in particular is defined as the property (ability) of the material or product to maintain the required mechanical, operational, and aesthetic properties until the limit state specified by the operating conditions of the structure. Durability is a complex construction property of facing stone; it serves as a crucial criterion for the selection and evaluation of the material, uniting a range of physical, mechanical, chemical, petrographic, and other properties.
The quantitative assessment of durability is the service life of the stone (in years) from its original condition until the appearance of signs of deterioration.
Currently, the main factors that negatively affect natural stone and determine its durability are distinguished.
Here is just a small part of the factors that influence the durability of natural stone; in fact, there are significantly more. Therefore, the service life of the same type of stone in different operating conditions can vary greatly. For example, the durability of Jurassic stone when used as a cladding material on a ventilated facade differs by tens of times from that of the same Jurassic limestone used as paving material. Even the bottom row of stone on the building's plinth is subjected to significant external influences, unlike the standard facade element. This is why the correct choice of material (layer and statistics on it) and selection are so important.
Visual examples of stone durability
Here is an example of the destruction of the basement part of a building due to improper stone selection. In this case, one can only guess what caused this destruction. Considering that the structure was built in 2010 and the destruction was recorded at the current time, it is likely that a stone intended for interior finishing (also beige in color) was chosen and installed on the facade.
🔍Below you can see another object built in 2004. As can be seen from the photographs, the foundation stone of the first row is in acceptable condition, although some elements are located in the area of the car entrance to the underground parking.
🔍Additionally, the durability can be adjusted with design solutions that reduce the load on the stone. For example, raising the plinth stone above the ground to prevent possible capillary suction from below.
🔍The durability significantly depends on the sizes of architectural details, primarily on their thickness: it has been established that with an increase in thickness, the lifespan of the stone increases in direct proportion.
In terms of durability class, fine-grained granites and gabbros lead, with a lifespan that can reach up to 600 years. Dense limestones of the Jurassic type typically have a durability of 60 to 150 years.