Page 12 - Demo

12|January 2020
“Will My Stone Be OK Outside?”
A Lesson in the Durability of Stone
Slippery rock Gazette
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trucks. We sell, fabricate or install some sort of stone or quartz with our drills, CNCs, bridge saws, suction lifting systems, carts, and all the other tools we use to make the job easier. We have laser templates, Fastbacks and robots to measure and cut. We can dye stone, etch and sandblast stone or leather stone. We have all the technologies known to man, so we can pretty much manipulate the stone to be almost anything we want. Almost.
The question is, “What about before technology?” The world has so many natural stone mon- uments created well before even the basics of modern technology were a glimmer on the horizon.
Think about the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Made almost en- tirely from marble, quartzite and limestone in a time when there was no modern tooling, CNCs or even electricity available. This
New Artisan Group Shops
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He added, “We have the best interest of the company and our workers in mind in every aspect of the day at Lakeside. Our team relies on creating processes, doc- umenting them and then holding team members accountable for following these processes. When something goes wrong, the first step is to see if the process was followed and if so, the process is changed. If the process was not followed, then the employee is “coached” to follow the process in future endeavors.”
Artisan Group Executive Director Jon Lancto added, “Lakeside’s processes and culture have proven to be very effective tools for running a complex op- eration. The facility is maintained better than any shop I’ve seen, and safety is a key aspect of the shop environment.” Some of the descriptions of the tour by attend- ees include; inspiring, humbling, and overwhelming.
Sharon Koehler
Artistic Stone Design
stone wonder shows us that our ancestors were truly engineers, artists and craftsmen. Yes, it does lean, but that is a soil issue, not an engineering or construction faux pas. The tower weighs approxi- mately 14,500 TONS (approxi- mately the same weight as about 828 Navy battleships or 2,400 el- ephants) The soil at the site of the tower is very soft, and the weight of the tower compressed it and created the lean. It actually started to lean before it was completed.
Construction started in 1173 but was halted twice by war. One time construction was halted for 100 years. The general theory is that if they had finished it all at one time the tower would have collapsed because the engineers would not have identified the lean until it was too late. Due to the construction delays the engi- neers had the opportunity to make adjustments to the tower design,
constructing it in almost a banana shape to offset the lean. In 1990 the lean was identified as 5.5 de- grees (almost 15 feet off center). The tower was then closed for just over 10 years to “straighten” it a bit. They succeeded in getting it back to a 4 degree lean. They also declared it stable for the next 300 years.
The tower is 8 stories tall with a bell tower containing 7 bells. The circular tower stands be- tween 186- and 187-1/4 feet tall. (Depending on which side you measure!) It is made up almost entirely of beautiful white mar- ble. Some local marble was used, but the majority of the marble came from other countries such as Turkey, Greece and Africa. Quartzite and limestone were also used in the construction as well. Limestone was used in the non-visible portions of the tower.
Oddly enough, the choice of limestone for the inner structure is thought to be another reason that the tower has not collapsed, because the limestone is thought to be more flexible than the mar- ble. Had it been 100 percent mar- ble, the conjecture is that it would
show up to work every
day in our cars and
Almost everyone has heard of the Leaning Tower, but few understand its significance to building with natural stone.
have collapsed a long time ago. This marble tower also contains 207 columns, two twin spiral staircases with approximately 294 to 296 steps each (again, depend- ing on which side you are on). There are 15 marble arches on the first story, 30 arches each on the next 6 stories and 16 on the top
bell tower portion.
Had the construction not been
halted multiple times by war, it is thought it would have taken about 185 years to complete instead of the 344 years it actually took.
800 years later, hampered by soft soil and war and with a little help from modern man, the tower still stands. Is it a testament to the ancient architects, engineers,
area and fabrication capabili- ties as the surfacing market has evolved.
Today, the company employs over 125 artisans in 5 loca- tions whose focus on quality,
laborers, stone masons and carv- ers? Sure it is. People come from the world over to see it, study it or just take in its 800-year-old history.
It is also a monument that shows the mesmerizing beauty, flexibil- ity and durability of natural stone. So, the next time a customer asks you if it’s OK to use natural stone for an outdoor kitchen or they want to know how durable natural stone is, just tell them the story of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. That should do it.
Please send your thoughts on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharon@asdrva.rocks.
craftsmanship, commitment to unparalleled customer service and daily pursuit of excellence are a cornerstone of the business.
The Artisan GroupTM is the first premier network of stone & quartz fabricators in North America, being the first to earn 100% ac- creditation through the Natural Stone Institute. Utilizing the most technically advanced, automated shops in the industry, highly skilled craftsmen ensure that each installation meets exacting standards. From classic to exotic, Artisan Group offers the most ex- tensive array of stone and quartz choices in the industry and is ded- icated to customer service. For more information, visit www.ar- tisan-counters.com or facebook. com/ArtisanGroupCountertops.
We have included some photos of the tour - luckily the weather also cooperated for some great golf and fishing outings with the group!
About Lakeside Surfaces
Established in 1992, Lakeside Surfaces is one of the largest fab- ricators of surfacing products in the Midwest. The company was founded by current President, Rob Riegler, who began as a certified Corian fabricator. By listening carefully to customers and busi- ness partners, Lakeside has been able to steadily increase service