Stone

re solid materials of the earth's crust. Various: slate, granite, quartzite, limestone, marble. Are hard andveryresistant. Because the stones have durability, are resistant to impacts, among other things.
 * ** What are stones? **
 * ** How many kinds of stone do you know? **
 * ** What characteristics do stones have? **
 * ** Why are stones used in construction? **

2 definitions:
 * The best stone (and brick) bonding is that in which blocks are placed so that the vertical joints in one course are not about the joints in the course above and below, since the stone resists deformation better than any bonding material (WHAT IS THE DEFINITION HERE?).
 * The entablatures: (the upper sections of a classical order that rest on the capital of a column)

2 statements of comparison and contrast: (THESE ARE NOT VERY GOOD EXAMPLES)
 * The entablatures (the upper sections of a classical order that rest on the capital of a column) of an ancient Greek temple, for example, were bonded by small bronze dowels. **But** the weight creates problems of stability when loads push at an angle; stone vaults and arches require more support and buttressing than equivalent forms in other materials.
 * Many stones are strong enough to provide monolithic supports (column and piers) and beams (lintels); and in some styles stone slabs are employed even for roofing (ancient Egyptian temples, early Christian basilicas in Syria). **But** this roofing requires so many columns that unvaulted masonry buildings are almost always combined with floors and covering in wood.

2 statements expressing cause and effect:
 * Because of its weight and the precision with which it can be shaped, stone masonry (in contrast with brick) does not depend on strong bonding for stability where it supports only direct downward loads.

Stones are hard, compact mineral that as all things have advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages are: durability, adaptability to sculptural treatment, and used naturally; and among the disadvantages: difficult to quarry, transport and cut, weakness in tension, expensive, and unstable with load pushing at angles. **The simplest and cheapest stonework is rubble; i.e.,** big amount of small stones bounded in mortar. Rubble, sometimes called field stone and is irregularly form. On the other hand, the stonework is the art of carving stone and **the strongest and most suitable stonework for monumental architecture is ashlar masonry, which consists of regularly cut blocks. The best stone (and brick) bonding is that in which blocks are placed so that the vertical joints in one course are not about the joints in the course above and below.** In conclusion, stone used in construction from the Stone Age, but today has been replaced by cheaper materials. Many people still prefer the stones in their buildings, for the wonderful features become they have ( hard, resistant and some are decorative ).

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