| Green building |
Working to promote the environmental benefits of natural stone
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May 13, 2008 |
Stagnation in Spain’s natural stone sector despite being a world leader |
According to the Natural Stone Sector Report 2006 published by the OMPN (Observatorio del Mercado de la Piedra Natural – Natural Stone Market Monitoring Centre), an institution that in turn reports to AIDICO (Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción - Construction Technology Institute), Spain’s natural stone sector is starting to show signs of stagnation despite being the world’s biggest producer. The report warns that without major investment in R&D&I to adapt the industry to changes in the business environment it may lose its leading position.
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April 22, 2008 |
CarraraMarmotec 2008 |
Great expectations for the next Carrara Marmotec (29 May/1 June) which will have a new look and innovative high profile events, although not forgetting its tradition established over the last 28 years.
One important new event linked to a wider structural project for the Exhibition is: the Natural Stone Vision, an area showing trends and creativity in Hall E.
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April 22, 2008 |
A brand new “vision” of marble during CarraraMarmotec 2008 |
The Italian natural stone industry is undergoing changes. In the period from January to October 2007 (statistics processed by the IMM) Italy recorded exports of 2.818.000 tons of marble and granite, including raw materials and finished products, for a value of 1 billion 549million Euro in the main categories, showing an increase of +4,84 in quantity and +3,04% in value. The largest increase was recorded for raw marble varieties (816.000 tons for a value of 156 million Euro, a + 12,33% increase in quantity and a +11% increase in value) and finished marble products, the latter being the most important export item with 892.000 tons (+6%) for a value of 666 million euro (+8%), while exports of finished granite products have been declining for some months now.
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April 10, 2008 |
Results of the Marble Architectural Awards (MAA) 2008 competition |
The jury examining the over sixty projects entered in the Marble Architectural Awards (MAA) 2008 competition have chosen the winners giving in-depth assessments in terms of the trends in the use of natural stone in Australia, Central and South America and southern Africa, the areas concerned for this year\\\'s competition.
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January 28, 2008 |
Exports of Italian marble: Europe the major market |
In the first nine months of 2007 Italy exported almost 3 and a half million tons of marble and granite, including raw materials, semi-finished and finished products to the tune of one billion 425 million euros, but recorded a negative 5.3% in terms of volume and a positive 2.7% in terms of value compared to the same period in 2006.
This information is given by the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara which, as always, processes the data collected by Istat, emphasising that if the most important items alone are considered (excluding therefore chips, powders, slates and pumice stone) the general outcome is much better, becomes positive in terms of volume and is around 0.5% higher in terms of value.
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January 22, 2008 |
Granasa celebrates its 30th birthday |
Celebrating its 30th birthday as one of the most traditional companies in Brazil`s Ornamental Stones segment, Granasa prepares to launch new types of materials sure to be the hit of the 25th Vitória Stone Fair 2008, the biggest event in Brazil`s Ornamental Stones sector, to be held from February 19 to 22, at Pavilhão de Carapina, Serra-ES.
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January 19, 2008 |
Stone exports from China |
Through October 2007, China`s stone exports were worth $2.83 billion and surpassed $3 billion for 2007 overall - the largest volume of stone exports globally for the second consecutive year.
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January 19, 2008 |
Natural Stone Sector Report 2006 |
According to the Natural Stone Sector Report 2006 published by the OMPN (Observatorio del Mercado de la Piedra Natural – Natural Stone Market Monitoring Centre), an institution that in turn reports to AIDICO (Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción - Construction Technology Institute), Spain’s natural stone sector is starting to show signs of stagnation despite being the world’s biggest producer. The report warns that without major investment in R&D&I to adapt the industry to changes in the business environment it may lose its leading position.
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November 11, 2007 |
New mainstays for Italy |
Never before has so much natural stone been used in the world as today and never before have so many products of natural stone been produced throughout the world. The market has become larger and thus more difficult, too. This is a development that cannot remain without consequences for the classic »stone regions« - especially in Italy, according to Cesare Bellamoli, President of Confidustria Marmo, the national association for the Italian natural stone industry.
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November 11, 2007 |
Crisis in Brazil? |
“We have never exported so much, but earned so little,” is the key theme of the current analysis by the Brazilian federal association Abirochas. The association has compared the export figures for the first half of 2007 with those of the previous year and sees a serious crisis approaching for the industry, as there are signs that the drop in exports will continue in the second semester of 2007.
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November 07, 2007 |
US market |
The US market in the first half-year 2007 imported stone materials from Italy worth 247 million 223 thousand Euro compared to 272 million 438 thousand in the same period 2006, of which were finished products worth 240 million 812 thousand Euro against 262 million 942 thousand Euro in the first half of 2006 (-8,4 %).
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October 22, 2007 |
Stone 2007 |
The marble and stone sector is characterised by a development that is notably superior to that of the global economy. This was confirmed by the results of 2006, both for the long and short term: since 1990, production has increased by 7.3 percent per year, and the volume of trade has grown by 9.2 percent, while in 2006 there were variations with respect to the previous year of 8.8 and 14.7 percent. This last variation, after those of 1994 and 2003, was the most consistent in this period of five years, and confirmed the positive trend.
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August 19, 2007 |
Like a roller coaster |
Prices started off low. A convincing argument that no one could resist. The stones from China took the hearts of the customers by storm. Chinese stones at exhibitions, at the stonemason’s, in the do-it-yourself store and in the tile shop around the corner. They had to be cheap and cheaper still. Resistance was pointless and countermeasures by the European producers were only successful at local level.
The tide has meanwhile turned. Importing stones from China to Europe is no longer so easy.
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July 03, 2008 |
Granite is now the surface of choice |
Granite and quartz have survived a rocky stretch a few years back to rise to the top of the heap in kitchen counter materials. The natural surfaces have grown more popular in household projects, being seen as artistic but practical. "Nature just does it right," says AnnaMae Lenkey, who is wrapping up a kitchen makeover with granite countertops in her Fox Chapel home. "I knew that was what I wanted as soon as I started looking at the granite."
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June 30, 2008 |
Green building |
According to recent data, buildings -- and not cars like many might think -- are the largest source of both energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in America as well as around the planet. The NSC believes that the use of Genuine Stone may have a positive effect on the overall health of our communities and the world by reducing the current environmental impacts of construction and building. The design of more energy-efficient buildings is a crucial step in addressing the dangers to our environment, and we firmly believe that eco-friendly design and construction will become the norm in the next decade.
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April 28, 2008 |
Life Cycle Analysis |
LCA is the only instrument of environmental management which enables quantification of all environmental impacts associated directly or indirectly to a product, allowing comparison with the performance of other products. The analysis makes it possible to organize and disseminate a database of products and services in the country, including dimension stone activity.
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January 22, 2008 |
Hotel in a chinese quarry |
The innovative design of the 400-bed resort hotel stands two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 metre deep quarry and includes underwater public areas and guestrooms. It will incorporate conference facilities for up to 1,000 people, a banqueting centre, restaurants, cafés and sports facilities. Sustainability is integral to the design ranging from using green roofing for the structures above the ground level to geothermal energy extraction."
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January 19, 2008 |
Countertops: Rock-solid and elegant |
It used to be that granite countertops graced only high-end kitchens. Increasingly though, the coarse-grained rock made mostly of quartz is providing surface support to homes of all income levels.
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December 05, 2007 |
CE: Testing, monitoring and certification |
All amendments and improvements to the European Standards for certain products of natural stone have been obligatory since September 2006. Joachim Deppisch, author of the CE brochure “Natural stone products: The new standards”, explains what companies producing natural stone must know.
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November 11, 2007 |
Glass architecture – lessons of a large-scale experiment |
Many office buildings with visionary fully glazed architecture, which has dominated modern office building for the last 10 years, can barely contribute to the well-being of their users in the hot months of the year. This has been shown by a survey entitled “Glass architecture – Lessons of a large-scale experiment”, which was initiated by the Darmstadt Institute for Living and the Environment and carried out on 24 mostly prestigious office buildings with fully glazed facades.
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July 03, 2008 |
“MARMOTECA ITALIA” resumes its U.S. roadshow |
The 2008 edition of Coverings (Orlando, April 29/May 2) also featured “Marmoteca Italia”, an institutional stand with an objective display (giving just the names of the materials and their regions of provenance) of around 600 samples of authentically natural Italian marbles, granites and stones.
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February 06, 2008 |
Silestone supports Fernando Alonso |
Cosentino the Spanish family-owned manufacturer of Silestone quartz work surfaces announced its sponsorship of the Spanish former Formula 1 world champion racing car driver, Fernando Alonso. Silestone is the only quartz works surface to contain Microban anti-bacterial protection.
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January 19, 2008 |
Countertops in the U.S. |
Demand for residential kitchen and bathroom countertops is forecast to increase 1.3 percent annually to 540 million square feet in 2011. Demand growth will decelerate from the pace of the 2001 to 2006 period, primarily due to weakness in the new single unit home market.
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Stone+tec 2009, Nürnberg, 20.-23.5.2009 |
STEIN The magazine for the natural stone market.
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