Specific weight of slate, its advantages and value table

Slate is a very common building material obtained through the process of splitting layered rocks — slates. This material is an excellent solution for roofing. The term slate is also used for untreated asbestos-cement sheets and clay slate of wavy and flat shapes.

According to GOST, two types of slate are used in modern construction: slate in the form of wavy sheets and slate in the form of flat sheets. The application of this type of material is not limited to roofing work; it is also used for finishing work.

By itself, this material has fairly good characteristics, such as durability, low cost, strength, and mass availability. However, not every type of slate is the best choice, as it can be harmful to human health.

Table of the specific weight of slate

Since slate consists of complex materials, it is not practical to calculate its specific weight independently in field conditions. These calculations are carried out in specialized laboratories. The table below gives a reference range for natural slate: from 2.65 to 2.7 g/cm³. For asbestos-cement and modern fibre-cement sheets, the actual weight is usually calculated from the sheet dimensions, thickness and manufacturer data.

To simplify the calculations, below is a table with values of the specific weight of slate, as well as such a parameter as the weight of slate depending on the units of measurement.

Advantages of slate

Slate is popular for good reason. This is due to the presence of undeniable advantages. The main ones include:

• Unlike other soft roofing materials, slate has good strength and can withstand a person’s weight
• Also, unlike other materials, slate is less affected by temperatures and therefore heats up less in sunny weather
• This type of material is very durable
• Due to its composition, it has high fire resistance
• Slate is easy to process mechanically in various ways
• Unlike other metallic materials, it is not subject to corrosion
• This material has excellent electrical insulation properties
• It produces little noise during heavy precipitation
• Slate is one of the most inexpensive building materials
• This material is easy to repair by replacing damaged parts with new ones

Disadvantages of slate

Despite the large number of advantages of slate, it also has quite noticeable disadvantages:

• Older asbestos-cement sheets may contain asbestos, which is dangerous when dust is produced during cutting, drilling or removal
• Slate is susceptible to moss, gradually becoming covered with it over a large part of the surface
• This type of material is quite brittle if handled incorrectly, especially during installation and transportation
• Under strong local heating, sheets may crack, so roofing details near chimneys and heated elements must follow fire safety requirements

The effect of asbestos in slate

In CIS countries, older roofing sheets were often produced with asbestos, which is a dangerous carcinogen. The highest risk arises when sheets are cut, drilled, demolished or broken and dust with asbestos fibres becomes airborne. According to WHO, occupational exposure to asbestos is linked to more than 200,000 deaths worldwide each year. In the European Union, the use of asbestos has been banned since 2005.