Marble Institute Cutting Edge Newsbriefs

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MIA Revises and Expands 'Expert Answers to Technical Questions'
Marble Institute of America (12/12/08)

On January 4, 2009, The Marble Institute of America will release a newly revised and expanded "Q&A-Expert Answers to Technical Questions about Working with Natural Stone." The updated module now features over 200 questions from MIA members, contractors, architects and others that have been addressed to the MIA technical department over the years. Topics include: fabrication by stone type, installation, flooring, vertical surfaces, countertops, general topics, explanations, definitions, and troubleshooting. "The 2008 edition is an update of the popular 2002 version," said Technical Director Chuck Muehlbauer . "We've doubled the size from 100 to over 200 questions and updated all references to Dimension Stone Design Manual version VI to version VII." Muehlbauer also noted a balance of both residential and commercial topics in the new edition. The questions featured were selected from the hundreds received annually by the MIA technical department from the past 10 years. Every natural stone professional should have a copy! Copies are available to MIA members for $11 US per copy (1-4 copies); $9.00 US per copy (5-20 copies); $7.50 US per copy (21+). Non-Members may purchase this brochure for $16.00 US per copy (1-4 copies); $14.00 US per copy (5-20 copies); $12.50 US per copy (21+).
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Fix Housing First Coalition Seeks to Revive Housing and Economy
NAHB News Release (12/10/08)

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is spearheading Fix Housing First, one of the largest coalitions of housing advocates ever assembled in the United States, to push for a housing recovery plan that will revive the economy. "If we are going to successfully pull our nation out of recession, we must address housing first," said NAHB President and CEO Jerry Howard. Fix Housing First, which consists of more than 600 organizations, home building companies and manufacturers and continues to add new members on a daily basis, is pressing for a major stimulus package to stem the decline in home values, stabilize financial markets and reignite consumer demand. To get the economy moving again, the coalition is urging Congress to support enhancements to the home buyer tax credit and provide below-market 30-year fixed-rate mortgages for home purchases. "If Congress enacts a meaningful tax credit, coupled with an aggressive interest rate buy-down program, we are confident that these measures will help to stabilize home prices, prevent future foreclosures, restore consumer confidence and start creating jobs," said Howard. The coalition cites a similar plan that worked in 1975, when the nation was also in the midst of a recession. Congress then passed a short-term $2,000 tax credit for all new homes ($12,000 adjusted for today's median home prices) along with subsidized mortgage rates. The stimulus jump started the depressed economy and the effects continued long after the measure expired. The housing stimulus proponents are calling for significant enhancements to the current $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers. Among the improvements: All primary home purchases between April 9, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009 would be eligible; The credit amount would be increased to 10 percent of the price of the home, capped at 3.5 percent of FHA loan limits, bringing the credit to a range of roughly between $10,000 and $22,000; The current recapture provision would be eliminated. Repayment would only be required if the home were sold within three years; The credit would be available at the time of closing, making it easier to be used as a downpayment. The second component of the stimulus plan would provide qualified home buyers with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at 2.99 percent on contracts closed until June 30, 2009 and 3.99 percent on closings between June 30 and Dec. 31, 2009. The coalition has also announced its support for continuing foreclosure prevention measures to keep people in their homes. Fix Housing First points out that 3 million home building-related jobs have been lost as a result of the slowdown in housing production, which represents $145 billion in lost wages and $4.9 billion in lost purchases. Deterioration in these jobs has now spilled over into virtually all sectors of the U.S. job market. "Over the past two years, the new home construction market has experienced an unprecedented decline. This has led to major layoffs, lost business and production cutbacks by thousands of building product manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. Clearly, innovative and decisive government action is urgently needed to stem the decline and create positive traction in the housing market," said Frank Cicero, Executive Vice President of Store Operations for 84 Lumber Company. To learn more about Fix Housing First, go to www.fixhousingfirst.com.
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Caring for Stone Floors
Scripps Howard News Service (12/08/08) ; Friedmann, Rosemary Sadez

Floors made of marble, granite, quartzite, or limestone should not be cleaned with vinegar or any acidic cleanser that will etch or scratch the stone. These types of floors also should not be subjected to re-crystallization or vitrification to restore luster, as such treatments also contain acid. Stone contains calcium carbonate, and mixed with acid, the bond between the calcium and carbonate is broken. The resulting film is calcium fluorosilicate, which clogs the stone's pores, prevents moisture from escaping, and causes rot. To get rid of etches and scratches and restore shine, waxes, acrylics, urethanes, re-crystallization, or vitrification must be removed. An impregnator should be applied, which forms a seal against water, coffee, and other liquids while still allowing the stone to breathe. As for daily maintenance, stone floors need only be dry mopped on a daily basis, and all spills should be blotted, rinsed with water, and blotted again.
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MIA Announces Winner of the 2008 Natural Stone Scholarship Award
Stone World (12/03/08)

The Marble Institute of America (MIA) recently named Jeff Lassiter, a machine operator for Norfolk, Va.'s International Flooring and Protective Coatings Company, as the 2008 recipient of the Natural Stone Scholarship Award. The honor was created by the industry group to offer educational opportunities to up-and-coming fabricators, installers, or administrative apprentices who want to advance their careers in the stone sector. Lassiter was chosen based on a 500-word essay stating why he is interested in a career in the industry. "The Marble Institute of America is excited to recognize Mr. Lassiter's commitment to the natural stone industry," stated MIA Executive Vice President Gary Distelhorst. "The intent of the MIA Natural Stone Scholarship Award is to provide educational opportunities for aspiring natural stone professionals, and the opportunity to expand one's knowledge."
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Granite and Stone Industries Demand Support
ExpressBuzz (India) (12/07/08)

Representatives of the granite and stone sectors in India are demanding government action to protect the trade, which has been severely impacted by the financial decline in the United States and the United Kingdom. The representatives were taking part in an interactive session hosted by CAPEXIL, a group sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for expanding export. Granite, Natural Stones and Products Panel Chairman R. Veeramani stated that, "as an immediate support measure, the non-performing assets (NPA) norms by the Reserve Bank of India need to be extended by 18 months." He asked that the interest and installment payments be delayed by two years. In addition, he declared, the interest rates need to be set at 4 percent for the stone industry--just like the Textile Upgradation Fund plan. During the past year, demand for building stones fell and payment for the shipped materials became unstable, he noted. The conference estimated that the natural stone business--made up of granite, marble, sandstone, slates, and quartzite--has declined by 60 percent. Veeramani stated that "the mining leasing policies and the royalty rates payable need to be leveled," and that the government is charging too much and the rules are not "export-friendly."
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New World Stoneworks; Revolutionary System Unlocks a New World of Stonework for Architects
Biotech Law Weekly (12/26/08) P. 2424

New World Stoneworks in Uxbridge, Mass., has developed a system that gives architects greater control over the stone construction process for projects. Architects use the New World Stoneworks Natural Stone Facing System to design the complete stone pattern; and they receive a digital proof of the stone type, color, mortar joint, and edge finish that must be approved. The system uses water and sand in a straightforward process that naturally shapes each stone according to the design plan. Each piece of stone is engraved with a number and hand-dressed using traditional hammer and chisel techniques; it then is delivered to the job site ready to install with detailed instructions. Installation time is reduced by up to 90 percent, compared with traditional stone construction techniques, and requires no onsite stone cutting. The system uses only natural stone material and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices; plus, it eliminates job site waste, so it helps projects qualify for LEED credits. New World Stoneworks has a patent pending on the technology in United States and in 13 other countries, but architects and custom builders are already using the system for their projects.
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6 Years Later, Capitol Visitor Center Puts Out Long-Awaited Welcome Mat
Washington Post (12/01/08) P. A1 ; Halsey III, Ashley

The grand opening of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., took place on Dec. 1, 2008, six years after construction began. Initially planned as a shelter from the elements for tourists waiting to be guided through the Capitol, the finished product is a magnificent subterranean edifice that is worth a visit as well. The ornate 580,000-square-foot center is about two-thirds the size of the entire Capitol. Thousands of tons of concrete were used as part of the $621 million project, in addition to 400,000 carefully selected hunks of stone and countless other bits of metal and marble. The lavish setting for the history of Congress includes a profile of Virginia granite wrapped around nearly five acres of Pennsylvania sandstone walls and floors of pink marble from Tennessee. Also, a pair of curving, 93-foot marble walls featuring artifacts from U.S. history and banks of interactive touch-screen displays highlight the exhibition hall. As many as 20,000 people are expected to visit the center each day.
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NSC Links Green Building Certification Programs and Genuine Stone
Stone World (11/25/08)

The Natural Stone Council (NSC) recently released a case study designed to illustrate the environmental benefits of natural stone. "Application of Green Building Certification Programs to Natural Stone" discusses the implications of natural stone use for two sustainable building certification programs: the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT). Natural stone may be helpful to meeting several standards under these guidelines including Sustainable Sites (SS), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR), and Innovation and Design (ID). The first example in the case study, which received a silver LEED certification, is ImaginOn in Charlotte, N.C. The building used natural stone cladding, which helped it gain a LEED MR credit. The second example is the Jefferson Hall Library and Learning Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in West Point, N.Y. The stone used to build the library--including more than 130 tons of granite--came from regional quarries, thus contributing to its SPiRiT bronze rating. Following the completion of these case studies, the NSC hopes to continue its assessment of the use of natural stone in sustainable buildings through a partnership with the University of Tennessee (UT) Center for Clean Products. As part of their collaboration, UT and NSC researchers will conduct a life-cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of natural stone industry operations.
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A replica of the Taj Mahal in Bangladesh will provide a tourist opportunity for people there who cannot make it to India to see the real thing . The life-size structure located near the capital of Dhaka was built with marble and granite imported from Italy. "I used the same marble and stone as in the original Taj," says Ahsanullah Moni, a wealthy Bangladeshi filmmaker who is behind the project. The use of machinery enabled Moni to complete the project in five years. "Otherwise it would have taken 20 years and 22,000 workers to complete it," according to Moni. Thousands of artisans helped build the original Taj Mahal over two decades in the 17th century for Moghul emperor Shah Jahan. Moni hired specialist architects and brought in Indian technicians for the project, which cost $58 million. He says it costs too much for poor people in Bangladesh to travel to neighboring India to see the monument.
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Companies from the United States and more than 50 other nations claimed every inch of exhibition space at this year's "Big 5" building and construction trade show in Dubai, UAE, drawing the event's largest group of visitors ever. Organizers say the Middle East fair, which closed on Nov. 27, attracted a crowd of 57,000-plus over five days; and, based on advance registration for the Nov. 23-27, 2009, event, they expect even bigger gate figures next year. The event's popularity "underlines that whatever the changing state of the world economy, The Big 5 is where the industry comes to network and maintain contact and that business goes on," said Simon Mellor, an executive with show organizers dmg media Dubai. The exhibition covers seven product sectors, including Building and Construction, Marble and Stone, Bathrooms and Ceramics, Water Technology and Environment, Cleaning and Maintenance, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and Glass and Metal.
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Rising consumption from 1994 to 2003 has spurred the growth of the U.S. natural stone market. Imports in 2003 rose by 39.2 percent for granite and its products and 20.3 percent for marble; and the average import prices of marble and granite fell by more than a tenth, as a result of cheaper stones coming from Third World nations. Meanwhile, domestic production of natural stone is rising, with 2.25 million tons of rough slabs being quarried in 2003--which is twice as much as the quarrying of 1.20 million tons of rough slabs 10 years ago. The quantity processed in the United States has risen from 1.1 million tons to 2.5 million tons, and about 30 percent of all natural stone finished goods in the country are processed in the country's own plants. Strong industrial bases for processing dimensional stone also exist in Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Lebanon, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and China. The same cannot be said of Pakistan, however, where mining of marble and granite is carried out in Balochistan, NWFP, and Sindh. Balochistan produces about 87 percent marble, 12 percent slate and 1 percent granite; has nearly 254 mines; and an estimated 4.2 billion tons of reserves of marble, onyx, and granite. The colors have been well-received on the local and international markets because of their similarity with Italian stones. Due to the lack of suitable technology, however, the country is unable to produce quality natural stone for the export markets. What few pieces of machinery that are available for the task, meanwhile, cannot accommodate large orders placed by importers due to financing limitations and insufficient storage space. Moreover, the country's stone processing workers are largely unskilled.
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Stonehard Facts, US Recession Hits Indian Quarries
IBNLive (12/14/08) ; Singh, Preeti

India's stone 'galaxy' is having problems selling several lower-grade quality slabs of granite during the global financial crisis. A "number of slabs are lying around without any buyers," says Ramchander Reddy, assistant director of mines in the government of Andhra Pradesh. "Two or three quarries have even shut down due to the steep fall in demand." Chimakurthy is the capital of Andhra's granite industry--which sends about 80 percent of the mined stone to China, where it is polished and then exported to U.S. and European markets. Business from China has slowed. Moreover, buyers are demanding premium-quality slabs while quarries are looking to cut costs, including by shrinking the workforce, as business slows.
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