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 possible to calculate its specific weight independently in field conditions. These calculations are carried out in special chemical laboratories. However, the average specific weight of slate is known and is in the range from 2,65 to 2,7 g/cm³.

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:

• Slate contains asbestos, which is very harmful to human health
• 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
• It has low resistance to open fire, breaking into small pieces and scattering sparks, which can lead to fires

The effect of asbestos in slate

In CIS countries, slate is often produced using asbestos, which is a dangerous carcinogen. The use of asbestos can harm not only people living near this material, but also all residents of the house. According to WHO statistics, about 107 thousand people die every year from violations of technical safety when working with asbestos. In the European Union, the use of asbestos in building materials has been banned since 2005.