Natural stone – the first, oldest and most fundamental geomaterial used for building purposes –  is making something of a comeback. 

ICE has thus commissioned and published a themed issue (165 CM3) of its Construction Materials journal to help civil engineers understand natural stone's engineering properties and potentially wide-ranging applications in modern construction.

According to materials consultant Ian Sims of RSK Environment, ‘In many buildings, the first impression is often created by natural stone, variously forming imposing masonry, appealing decorative cladding and strikingly attractive flooring.’ But he says while architects love to use stone to realise their ideas, it has been described as a ‘low-tech, awkwardly inconsistent material in a high-tech world’.

Fortunately rapid technical advances now being made in the analysis and design of natural stone, as reported in the themed issue. Topics covered by papers range from CE marking of stone products and new approaches to partial safety factors and deformability, to modern applications such as flooring, cladding and highway pavements.

For more information please contact the ICE Proceedings editor Simon Fullalove on +44 20 7665 2448 or at editor@ice.org.uk