Resource Library

This 26-page technical module, newly revised in 2021, covers the basics of stone industry safety. Topics include working with OSHA, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, hazard communications, safe slab handling, respiratory protection, equipment operating procedures, and compressed air safety.

December 1, 2021

Seguridad en la Industria de la Piedra

Este módulo técnico de 26 páginas, revisado recientemente en 2021, cubre los conceptos básicos de seguridad en la industria de la piedra. Los temas incluyen trabajo con OSHA, equipo de protección personal, seguridad eléctrica, comunicaciones de peligros, manejo seguro de losas, protección respiratoria, procedimientos operativos de equipos y seguridad del aire comprimido.

December 1, 2021

Silicosis-An Industry Guide to Awareness and Prevention

This technical module covers ways to prevent silicosis through housekeeping and work practices, engineering controls, air quality monitoring, and respirable sampling. It also includes a list of safety precautions for workers and information on baseline medical testing. Revised in 2020 to reflect current OSHA regulations.

December 1, 2020

Marble Soundness Classification rev. 2018 Locked secured document

The Marble Soundness Classification System has been with us, essentially unmodified, for more than half of a century (originating with the National Association of Marble Producers who merged with the Marble Institute in 1963). Its long, established use is definitely a result of its simplicity and effectiveness, but perhaps the greatest strength of this system is that it is linked only to material working properties, and specifically excludes any relationship with the market value of the materials.

November 8, 2018

Testing Frictional Properties of Natural Stone Walking Surfaces Locked secured document

Friction is currently a topic of study of numerous committees, associations, and companies, both in the United States and elsewhere. A test method and evaluation method may evolve in the future that proves to be superior to ANSI 326.3, but currently, the ANSI 326.3 procedure provides a very practical method of friction measurement and evaluation.

January 29, 2018

Quartzite Need Not be a Confusing Stone Locked secured document

Quartzite has been causing confusion within the natural stone industry. Some people say it etches. Some say it doesn’t. Sometimes you hear it’s a hybrid between marble and granite. Yet, others report that it’s harder than granite. Which is it? Why are there such conflicting reports about quartzite?

June 16, 2017

Calcareous Onyx Locked secured document

A resurgence in the use of decorative onyx has been noted over recent years, as designers and specifiers have rediscovered the exciting effects that can be done with this beautiful geological material. The striking colors available in this rock type, accentuated by strong veining character and unique translucent properties, have created bold statements within spaces designed by some of today’s most imaginative architects. Effective use of this material, however, requires a deep level of understanding of the formation, structure, and composition of the rock. This paper will unlock some of the mysteries and secrets of working with this natural wonder.

September 8, 2015

Cement: Types and Usage with Natural Stone Locked secured document

The purpose of this paper is to inform designers and installers using natural stone of key characteristics of cements related to stone installation and assemblies. A second goal of the paper is to educate designers and installers regarding trends in the cement industry that can have significant impacts related to the use of natural stone.

September 8, 2015

Joint Sealants: Products & Application for the Natural Stone Industry Locked secured document

Understanding some chemistry is important when selecting sealants for natural stone. This technical bulletin presents an overview of the design, use and application of joint sealants which are used in the natural stone industry. Discussed are various chemistries and other important considerations for selection of sealants for natural stone installations and the application of the sealant. The intention is to provide a source of information to better understand sealants and provide resources for further research into the industry. It is not intended to provide an inclusive discussion of the sealant industry.

September 8, 2015

R-Value for Natural Stone Locked secured document

Heat always flows from warmer to colder areas. The transfer of heat energy through a solid material is known as conduction. There are certain applications where this heat transfer, or thermal conductivity, of a natural stone becomes an important factor in design and material selection.This bulletin provides the measured values of thermal conductivity (k-value) and thermal resistance (R-value) for the most common natural stone types used in building applications of common stone types.

September 8, 2015

Sealing Natural Stone Locked secured document

Should natural stone be sealed? In some cases it makes perfect sense to seal the stone. Once properly sealed, the stone will be protected against everyday dirt and spills. In other cases, it is best to leave the stone untreated. Topical sealers can alter the surface texture and finish, as well as build up on the surface creating a layer that is less durable than the stone.

September 8, 2015

Freeze/thaw Cycling in Natural Stone

The stone industry is introducing new, unproven materials on a regular basis. Can the wrath of mother nature be accurately synthesized in a laboratory setting? This article explains why freeze/thaw occur, the differences among freeze/thaw cycles, various test procedures and obstacles to testing. Published in Building Stone Magazine — SPRING/SUMMER 2013

August 11, 2015

Tolerances in the Dimension Stone Industry Locked secured document

There are a variety of sources from which stone fabrication and installation tolerances can be obtained. This document was cross-referenced with tolerances published by a variety of organizations. While most of the published tolerances are in agreement or exhibit only slight differences, some conflicts may exist between this document and those published by other organizations.

September 1, 2014

Dimension Stone Test Methods, Guides, and Standards Locked secured document

There are similarities between the ASTM documents and the CEN documents, to the extent that some test procedures could be considered nearly interchangeable. Conversely, some test procedures exist in both systems for which there is no equivalent counterpart in the other system. This paper is written to describe the ASTM standards and test procedures, with references to those CEN documents which are similar in scope.

June 1, 2014

Dimension Stone Anchorage Theory, Practice, and Components Locked secured document

This bulletin is intended to serve as a general guide to the practice of mechanically anchoring dimension stone. Reading this document will not make one a stone cladding engineer, in fact, it is not written with the intent of guiding engineers. It was prepared as a guide to the trades-person, and provides general valuable insight as to how stone anchorage devices interface with the stone panels and the building structure. Common anchorage devices are discussed, as well as some guidance regarding why certain anchor device selections may be more appropriate than others in particular situations.

February 1, 2010

Countertop Sanitation Locked secured document

Today’s consumer is offered a wide range of surfacing materials for use in countertop applications. Once in service, these countertop surfaces will be exposed to a variety of contaminative substances. The key safety issue to the consumer is the degree of cleanability of the surface material, that is, how easily any contaminants can be removed using normal and reasonable cleaning practices.

June 10, 2004

Lista de Verificación de Planificación de Inspección para OSHA

Esta lista se proporciona como una descripción general de las políticas y elementos necesarios para estar preparado para una inspección de OSHA. Contiene un amplio listado de actividades o situaciones comunes en muchas instalaciones de fabricación de piedra y puede ayudar a identificar problemas que podrían ser cuestionados durante una inspección de OSHA.

November 12, 2024

Technical Bulletins/Modules | Spanish

Plan de Control de Exposición a la Sílice

Documento personalizable en MS Word para ayudar a cumplir con uno de los pasos de la normativa de OSHA sobre sílice para la industria en general. Incluye información sobre la silicosis, requisitos de capacitación en seguridad y mantenimiento de registros, así como una tabla personalizable de actividades comunes que generan sílice con los controles de ingeniería recomendados o requeridos, prácticas de limpieza y requisitos de EPP.

November 12, 2024

Technical Bulletins/Modules | Spanish

Silicosis: Una Guía Industrial para la Conciencia y Prevención

Este módulo técnico cubre diferentes maneras de prevenir la silicosis a través de prácticas de limpieza, gestión interna, controles de ingeniería, monitoreo de la calidad del aire y muestreo respirable. También incluye una lista de precauciones de seguridad para los trabajadores e información sobre pruebas médicas básicas. Revisado en 2020 para reflejar las regulaciones actuales de OSHA.

November 12, 2024

Technical Bulletins/Modules | Spanish

Silica Exposure Control Plan

Customizable MS Word Document to help satisfy one of the steps for compliance to the OSHA Silica Rule for General Industry. Includes information on silicosis, safety training and recordkeeping requirements, and a customizable table of common silica-producing activities with recommended or required engineering controls, housekeeping practices, and PPE requirements.

October 18, 2018

Rodding Granite Countertops Locked secured document

In 2000, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) had laboratory tests conducted to determine the conditions under which rodding granite countertops may be beneficial. This information was first published in April 2000 and later incorporated into the MIA’s Dimension Stone Design Manual, VI.

September 8, 2015

The Truth About Granite & Radon/Radiation

Over the past few years, there has been some consumer confusion and concern about rumored radiation levels occurring in natural granites used for residential countertops, floor tiles, etc. The origins of this concern are advertisements published by manufacturers of competing materials. Levels of radiation from granitic products, while technically measurable, are in fact, just small fractional values of established thresholds for environmental safety.

September 8, 2015

Recommended Best Practices Locked secured document

The following material is intended to provide basic guide lines for the architect, engineer, stone contractor, stone fabricator, anchoring device fabricator, and other interested parties for the safe and economical use of building stone in construction. It offers guide lines for the design and application of building stone using metal gravity anchors and/or lateral anchors to: (a) clad solid concrete or masonry, (b) clad the structural frame of a building, either directly, or to subframes, or to curtain walls which are attached to the building structure. It also includes guide lines for the design and application of paving stones.

January 1, 2010

The Art of Deflection Locked secured document

Of the many issues the C-18 committee discussed regarding thin wall adhered veneer and proposed specifications, expansion joint spacing, stone weight, system weight, maximum height, inspections, etc., nothing inspires heated debate like the issue of allowable deflection of the back up structure. The contention began with a proposed requirement of a maximum allowable deflection of L/1000. L is the span, or the free length of the back up structure between supports. So, if the distance from the floor to the structure above is 10’, then that is the span. L/1000 then, is 120” (10’) divided by 1000 or 0.120”, about 1/8”. What this means is that a 10’ wall should only move 1/8” at the center of the span when the full design wind load is applied.

November 1, 2009

Weather or Not? Locked secured document

Those responsible for specifying stone for a project are always concerned about durability. Will it function and maintain all of the properties that made them pick that particular stone in the first place for the expected life of the building? One of the causes of a loss of durability is our friend Mother Nature. The unique combination of wetting, drying, freezing, thawing, heating, and cooling that we call weather constantly punishes any material that is used on the exterior of a building. This punishment comes from rain, sleet, snow, hail, wind erosion, hot sunny days, and cold winter nights. So any reasonable person responsible for the selection of the stone would want to know how well a stone performs on a building and over a long time period of say, 50 years, or more. This need to know has naturally resulted in a call for a stone test method to determine the resistance to weather; a weathering test.

November 1, 2009

Natural Stone Institute

Resource Library

Search Results

Refine Results

Staff Recommendations

Most Popular Publications