天然石材景觀石是如何製成的

當您停下來思考時，天然石材在很大程度上構成了我們現代文明的基礎。從我們生活、工作和購物的建築物到我們行走和駕車行駛的地面，如果沒有這種重要的自然資源，生活是難以想像的。

各種形式的旅程 天然石材 take from the depths of the earth and into the construction of homes, commercial buildings and roads is a fascinating one. Let us dive in and explore the origins of natural stone and how it’s made.

美麗的天然外牆疊石系統

天然石材的起源

天然石材可分為三種：火成岩、沉積岩和變質岩。

Igneous rocks are the result of magma or lava solidifying and cooling, either beneath the earth’s surface or ejected from volcanoes and left to cool above-ground. Granite is the most common form of igneous stone but other kinds include basalt, dunite, rhyolite and gabbro.

Sedimentary rocks form through a combination of fragments from other rocks, along with the remains of plants, animals and other organic materials. These materials accumulate in deserts, oceans and lakes before they are compressed into their final form by the weight of the earth above them. Limestone is the most common sedimentary rock with siltstone, dolomite and shale comprising other variations.

Metamorphic rocks previously existed as igneous or sedimentary stones and were then transformed due to heat and pressure applied through exposure to magma, the weight of earth above them when buried deep underground, or a combination of both. Marble is the most famous stone of the metamorphic variety and quartzite, soapstone, gneiss and jade, among others, round out this fascinating category.

托斯卡納的大理石採石場

提取天然石材

在大自然完成實際形成石頭的第一步之後，下一步將石頭移除並重新利用是由世界各地採石場的人類雙手完成的。

採石過程涉及面廣，需要強大的機械和熟練的採石工人。在觸摸這塊石頭之前，需要執行一長串的操作。

首先，地質學家團隊必須在採石場找到可以檢查的岩石露頭。接下來，透過使用鑽石鑽頭鑽入岩石來獲取石頭樣本。然後對樣品進行分析，以確定其是否具有用作建築材料所需的特性。

假設石頭符合建築用途，從當地政府獲得適當的許可證和許可的漫長且往往曠日持久的過程就開始了。根據國家和州的不同，這可能需要數年才能完成。

一旦最終批准下達，工作就開始清除任何可能阻礙採石過程的碎片、污垢和其他障礙物。雪上加霜的是，許多採石場位於偏遠、交通不便的地區，需要先建造整條道路和隧道，然後才能開始真正的工作。

結合使用鑽石線鋸、高功率火炬和定時爆炸裝置，將石頭與採石場表面分開。由此產生的大塊通常重達四十噸，然後被運送到設施進行進一步切割和加工。  

採石場工人切割石頭

加工天然石材

在加工設施中，石塊被高速排鋸切割成板材，切割時也會釋放水以減少粉塵排放。儘管工作速度很快，但排鋸通常需要大約兩天的時間才能完成 20 噸重的石頭的切割。

接下來，將板材送入拋光機以達到所需的光潔度。拋光是最常見的飾面，還有磨光、皮革和拉絲等其他選擇，可在石材表面提供不同程度的紋理。

Now that the slabs are cut to the correct size and have the desired finish, the final stage in a natural stone’s journey into your home takes place at the fabricator’s facility. Here, the stone slabs are further cut to specification for each individual project which includes shaping of the edges into the detail required for installation.

值得等待的旅程

Now that you know the incredible journey that natural stone takes from deep inside the earth and into your kitchen, I’m sure you’ll agree that it is certainly worth the wait. Thanks to advancements in the industry over the years and the demand that exists for natural stone of all kinds, you don’t actually have to sit around while your marble, quartzite or granite is quarried and processed.