Granite plates as slabs in social housing in Brazil

Granites slabs are largely used for paving. The most common way to settle the slabs is using a thin layer of industrialised mortar. More recently, there has been interest focused on setting the stone with non-adherent systems – without mortar. However, there is a lack of information concerning these methods. The present study evaluated the mechanical properties of three types of granites with great commercial acceptance for non-adherent paving uses and also determined the stone thickness for this type of use. The slabs are 200 cm wide and 300 cm long and are supported on the four edges by a concrete frame. To evaluate the performance of the slabs according to the use and the environmental conditions, the following tests were performed: abrasion resistance, slip resistance, index gravity and petrography analysis. The properties tested for the structural design of the granite plates were compressive strength, flexural strength and ultrasonic wave velocity. The results indicate that charnockite should be assembled using a thickness of 30 mm, only for indoor uses. The syenogranite and the monzogranite could be used for both interior and exterior uses. The thicknesses of monzogranite and syenogranite slabs should be 20 mm and 30 mm respectively.