Specific weight of sandstone, properties, advantages and value table

Sandstone is a layered sedimentary rock consisting of particles of rocks such as calcite, quartz, mica and feldspars. This material is formed as a result of the compaction of a large volume of sand under high pressure. Metal oxides serve as binding elements in its composition, which, in turn, gives this type of material high strength. Sandstone is one of the most beautiful materials in nature thanks to its wide combination of colors, shades and forms.

Table of sandstone specific weight

The weight of this material depends on such a parameter as specific weight. Since this material is complex, it is not possible to calculate the specific weight of sandstone in field conditions. This procedure is carried out in specialized chemical laboratories. However, the average specific weight is known and ranges from 2.2 to 2.5 g/cm³.

To make calculations of such indicators as sandstone weight and its specific weight easier, the table below presents these values, as well as other calculations for different measurement systems.

Properties of sandstone

As mentioned earlier, sandstone has a wide range of colors and shades, as well as many different textures and forms. The color of sandstone can have various shades of white, gray, brown, as well as black and red.

The main properties include:

• Water absorption depends on porosity and structure. Dense building sandstone is usually relatively low-absorption, while more porous varieties can absorb noticeably more water.
• Good compressive strength. The typical range is about 30 to 100 MPa.
• Sandstone is a non-combustible mineral rock, but its thermal resistance depends on mineral composition, porosity and heating conditions.
• Porosity varies widely: dense facing sandstone can have only a few percent of pores, while looser varieties can reach much higher values.

The hardness and density of sandstone depend on the quantitative content of shell fragments, quartz and siliceous particles. Thus, with a high silicon content, this type of material gains a highly dense structure; with a high content of ferruginous and calcareous cement, it becomes less strong and hard; and an increased content of clay and gypsum cement makes it impossible to use this material in construction because of its very low strength.

Sandstone is usually divided into two categories:

• Sandstone in the form of untreated stone, which, in turn, has subtypes: wild stone, sandstone rubble and flat flagstone.
• Processed sandstone, whose subtypes include tiles from 10 to 25 mm and stones.

Advantages of sandstone

Sandstone is very popular among construction materials thanks to its distinctive characteristics. Among the main advantages of this type of material are:

• High decorative quality
• Good durability when the stone type is selected correctly and operating conditions are respected
• Can be processed, ground and sawn relatively easily
• Requires minimal care, but exterior use depends on correct installation, joint protection and selection of a frost-resistant variety
• It is a natural mineral material, but the environmental impact depends on quarrying, processing and transport
• Relatively moderate cost
• Non-combustible mineral base
• Good frost resistance in dense frost-resistant varieties
• Wear-resistant and non-slip surface

However, like any material, sandstone has its disadvantages. The main one is the large weight of this construction material.