FUTURE OF CAST STONE

Evening Star, Issue 22913, 22 March 1938, Page 3

FUTURE OF CAST STONE

VALUABLE EXPERIMENTS Given proper treatment, an important future for cast stone in building is predicted by Mr Maurice E. Webb, a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Addressing members of the Cast Concrete Products Association in London recently, be said that the principal hindrance to the use of artificial stone was “ crazing,” and, although in fact this phenomenon did not interfere with the durability of the material, it must be guaranteed against. He understood experiments had definitely proved that it could be stopped, and when the results of this research had been translated into commercial practice every architect would be greatly relieved. He considered that some of the cracking found in partition walls', floors, anTl ceilings was due to the cements and binding materials being too hard. The more elastic the material was, the less w T as trouble likely to be experienced. The material was not imitation stone, but concrete, which could be given any desired surface, without great expense. It could also be given any desired colour and texture, and in this connection it was curious that the rougher the wall, the cleaner it looked. The ultimate success of these cast products, as far as they wefe concerned with architecture and building, depended on a design of their own being developed for them. It would, in fact, depend on their standing for what they were —“ an indestructible building material, capable of a great number of uses, and with a character and appearance of their own.”