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Marble and natural
stones laboratory has the purpose to enhance ornamental and construction stones, since Italy is in a
leading worldwide position in their
mining and
processing. In this laboratory, both historical and contemporary natural stone samples, coming from Piedmont,
Italy and all over the world, are collected.
The
laboratory
performs tests according to Italian technical standards (UNI, CNR), but
also to European (EN) and North American ones (ASTM), including:
- determination
of physical, mechanical and petrographic properties (flexural
strenght, compression, water absorption);
- determination
of technological characteristics (impact, wear and slip resistance, surface
coating degree of
processed elements);
- durability
assessment: predisposition to buckling, frost resistance, aggressive
atmospheres and acid rain, chemicals, thermal
shocking, crystallization of soluble salts, UV;
- covering
stones quality
control according to the technical rules of the Autonomous Region of
Valle d'Aosta;
- determination
of physical and mechanical properties through non-destructive tests or
micro-destructive one (UPV, Schmidt hammer).
 
Some
equipment
examples used for natural stones technical qualification: Capon
abrasimeter
and vacuum pump for the determination of bulk density/open
porosity.
In addition,
numerous researches and consulting contracts include:
- technological
characterization of new stone
materials: it is essential
in order to define both the most suitable methods of extraction and the
possible building uses;
- natural stones
durability: identification and definition of tests applied to
predictict the resistance to weathering;
- experimentation
of new methods for testing and checking the validity of parameters and reference
values (pre-normative
research);
- use
of non-destructive methods to evaluate the conservation status of
operating materials, consolidation works and the provision of cleaning and
protection projects;
- recognition and
characterization of natural stones in monuments and
identification of the quarries origin for restoration
methods verification.
 
Some
equipment used for stone materials
characterization:
pendulum tester for slipping resistance and Knoop
microhardness.
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