Which Stone Is Good For Pavement?

 Pavements are durable surfaces that cover roads, airstrips, or similar areas. They have to withstand various loads and environmental conditions. Therefore, choosing the right material for pavement construction is crucial for its performance and durability.

One of the most common materials used for pavement construction is stone. Stone can be natural or crushed, and it can be combined with other materials such as bitumen, asphalt, tar, or cement to form different types of pavements.

But not all stones are suitable for pavement construction. Some factors that affect the suitability of stone for pavement are:

• Minerology: The chemical composition and crystal structure of stone affect its properties such as strength, hardness, abrasion resistance, weathering resistance, and skid resistance. For example, quartzite is a hard and durable stone that can resist wear and tear better than limestone or sandstone.
• Shape and texture: The shape and texture of stone affect its gradation (size distribution), angularity (degree of sharpness), surface area (amount of contact with binder), and void ratio (amount of air spaces). These factors influence the stability, workability, compatibility, permeability, and drainage of pavements. For example, angular stones have better interlocking than rounded stones.
• Grading: The grading of stone refers to the proportion of different sizes of particles in a given sample. It affects the density, strength, stiffness, and fatigue resistance of pavements. For example, well-graded stones have a good balance between coarse and fine particles that can fill the voids efficiently.

Based on these factors, some examples of stones that are good for pavement construction are:

• Granite:

Granite is an igneous rock composed mainly of quartz and feldspar. It has high strength, hardness, abrasion resistance, weathering resistance, and skid resistance. It can be used for both flexible and rigid pavements.

• Basalt:

Basalt is another igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene. It has high strength, stiffness, durability, and thermal stability. It can be used for both flexible and rigid pavements.

• Gravel:

Gravel is a natural aggregate composed mainly of sand-sized particles of various rocks. It has good stability, workability, compatibility, permeability, and drainage. It can be used as a base course or sub-base course for flexible pavements.

These are some examples of stones that are good for pavement construction. However, there are many other factors that need to be considered before selecting a stone material for pavement construction such as availability, cost, environmental impact, maintenance requirements etc.