Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer ...

G E O S C I E N C E A U S T R A L I ADescription of Ornamental Building Stonesused on the Ground Foyer of the GeoscienceAustralia building, Symonston, ACT.Peter J ButlerRecord2008/19GeoCat #67719APPLYING GEOSCIENCE TO AUSTRALIA’S MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Description of ornamental building stonesused in the ground foyer of the GeoscienceAustralia building, Symonston, ACT.GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIARECORD 2008/19byPeter J Butler 11. Peter J Butler, Geoscience Australia1

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Department of Resources, Energy and TourismMinister for Resources and Energy: The Hon. Martin Ferguson, AM MPSecretary: Dr Peter Boxall, AOGeoscience AustraliaChief Executive Officer: Dr Neil Williams, PSM© Commonwealth of Australia, 2008This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for the purpose of study, research, criticism,or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any processwithout written permission. Copyright is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer,Geoscience Australia. Requests and enquiries should be directed to the Chief Executive Officer,Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378 Canberra ACT 2601.Geoscience Australia has tried to make the information in this product as accurate as possible.However, it does not guarantee that the information is totally accurate or complete. Therefore, youshould not solely rely on this information when making a commercial decision.ISSN 1448-2177ISBN 978-1-921498-20-6GeoCat # 67719Bibliographic reference: Butler, P. J., 2008. Description of ornamental building stonesused in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia building, Symonston, ACT. Record2008/192

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Front Foyer, Geoscience Australia Building. Photography by Jeremy Russell.3

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.ContentsExecutive Summary 6Introduction 7About Geoscience Australia 7Geoscience Australia buildings 7Ornamental Building Stones Used 8Details of Ornamental Building Stones UsedFlooring and Plinths 8Building’s Fault Line feature and Reception Area desk(polished black pieces) 9Persian red travertine slabs 10Acknowledgements 12Glossary 13References 15Appendix 1:Schedule of Internal Materials and Finishesused in the ground foyer 16Figures1. Geoscience Australia building. View looking south-east. 172. Former premises of Tumut Lime and Marble Pty Ltd, Adelong Road,Tumut, N. S. W. 173. Rodney Henrick at his workshop honing (polishing) a basalt floor tile. 184. Basalt plinths at the rear entrance to Geoscience Australia. 195. Location of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. 196. Aerial view of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. 207. Flagstones and feature stones. Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. 208. Main working face of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. 219. Location of Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W. 2210. Aerial view of Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W. 2211. Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W., showingcolumnar structures. 2312. Columnar structures at Murrays Crossing Quarry,Tumbarumba, N. S. W. 2313. ‘Fault’ line in the paving and widows of main entrance toGeoscience Australia. 244

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.14. ‘Fault’ line running through the basalt tiles and carpet inthe foyer of Geoscience Australia. 2415. Blade walls at Geoscience Australia. 2516. Blade walls at Geoscience Australia. 255

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Executive SummaryThis report describes the ornamental stones used in the ground floor foyer ofthe Geoscience Australia building.There are three ornamental stones used. The flooring tiles are basalt. The ‘fault’line through this is a polished norite and the blade walls are covered by aPersian red Travertine. Investigations have established that the basalt andnorite are from Australian quarries and the travertine is from an unknown sourceoverseas possibly Italy.6

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.IntroductionThis record describes the ornamental building stones used in the groundfloor foyer of the Geoscience Australia building.This record is the result of a number of enquires from the general publicand employees of Geoscience Australia regarding the identification of theornamental stones used in the floor and walls of the ground floor foyer area ofthe GA building.Information on the material used on the foyer floor was obtained from theornamental stone suppliers and quarry operators. In most cases thesesuppliers and operators were known to the author.About Geoscience AustraliaGeoscience Australia is within the portfolio of the Department ofResources, Energy and Tourism. The organisation plays a critical role byproducing first-class geoscientific information and knowledge. This enables thegovernment and the community to make informed decisions about theexploration of resources, the management of the environment, the safety ofcritical infrastructure and the resultant wellbeing of all Australians.The predecessor to Geoscience Australia was established in 1946 andwas then called the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics(BMR). After the Second World War, the Federal government decided a coordinatedapproach was needed to determine and evaluate Australia’s vastpetroleum and mineral resources. BMR’s main function during this time was tocompile a series of geological maps that covered the entire continent. TheBMR became the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) in 1992.In August 2001 AGSO was renamed AGSO - Geoscience Australia.In November 2001, the new combined agency adopted its current nameof Geoscience Australia, recognising the vital geoscientific work it does acrossmany disciplines. The work contributes to land use and resource managementincluding that of Australia’s marine jurisdiction. Geoscience Australia also studychanges in the natural environment and natural hazards such as earthquakes,tsunamis and landslides.Geoscience Australia buildingsThe purpose built geoscientific research facility is located on the cornerof Jerrabomberra Avenue and Hindmarsh Drive, Symonston, ACT. (Figure 1).Construction commenced in April 1996 and was completed in December 1997.Approximately 17,000 cubic metres of concrete and 1,200 tonnes ofstructural steel were used in the construction of the two buildings that make upthe Geoscience Australia building, the main office/laboratory complex and thesupport building. The total floor area of the two buildings is about 40,000square metres.7

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Ornamental Building Stones UsedAustralian materials were used wherever practicable in the constructionof the Geoscience Australia building, including the external precast wallcladding, tanking and waterproof membranes, structural steel, laboratorybenches, cupboards and fitments, sheet vinyl flooring, carpet tiles, ceramic walltiles, louver and Venetian blinds, painting systems and many others (seeAppendix 1 for a list of materials used in the ground foyer).Three different ornamental stones were used in construction ofarchitectural features located within the foyer of the Geoscience Australiabuilding and they are described as:Hard FlooringFault Line in Internalhard floorStone facing toBlade WallsSawn and honed basalt (bluestone) slabsImperial Black granite slabsPersian Red travertine slabsDetails of Ornamental Building Stones UsedBasaltic Hard Flooring and PlinthsThe unpolished hard flooring slabs within the foyer and the plinthslocated outside the foyer are made from basaltic rock that was obtained fromtwo quarries located in southwest New South Wales. The quarry providing thematerial for the plinths was unable to provide suitable stone for the interiorground hard flooring slabs and a second quarry was sourced for this feature.In both cases the basalt was trucked from its quarry site near Tumut tothe Tumut Lime and Marble Company located on the Snowy MountainsHighway near Tumut, New South Wales, (Figure 2) where it was cut andpolished (honed) by the owner Rodney Henrick (now retired), (Figure 3) andCraige Henrick (Rodney Henrick, 2007, per. comm.).The basalt used in both these features is an igneous volcanic rock thatcomes in a variety of forms; which in this case is an alkali olivine basalt.PlinthsThe basaltic stone slabs used in the two plinths located outside thesouthern entrance (staff entrance) of the building (Figure 4) were obtained froma quarry near Wee Jasper, N. S. W. (Figure 5 and 6). The location of the quarryis 35.07869 S, 148.60799 E, with an elevation of 757m. The Wee Jasperquarry is operated by Capital Quarries and supplies stone for rock walls,flagstone and feature stones to the building industry in the A. C. T and N. S. W.(Figure 7) (Craige Henrick, 2007, per. comm.). A considerable amount of roughstone has been quarried from the site. (Figure 8). The mineralogy of this stoneis given by Hensel Geosciences, 1997 and is:8

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.MineralBy volume.fresh olivine 15%plagioclase feldspar 34%calcic pyroxene 30%opaque minerals 6%interstitial minerals 1%iddingsite 3%clay 4%alteration 6%nepheline

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.A fault line feature was included in the architectural design as Canberrahas a series of old fault lines that run through the area; the most famous faultbeing the Deakin Fault.The Deakin Fault is a major fault in Canberra running north-west tosouth-east and passing through State Circle, very close to the suburb of Deakin.It extends from the hills to the east of the suburb of Jerrabomberra and headsnorthwest via the suburbs of Narrabundah, Griffith, Forest, Yarralumla thenacross the Molonglo River to Cook, then turns northeast in Macquarie where itturns around to the north-west again via Belconnen, Evatt, Melba, Flynn,Charnwood, Dunlop and out the north-west of the ACT. It continues to the eastend of Lake Burrunjuck near Yass. Its total length is approximately 70kilometers. It is a normal fault with the fault block on the northeast side elevatedand the southwest fault block lowered.The ornamental stone used in the fault line feature and the top of thereception area desk is made of a polished norite, an igneous plutonic rock ofgabbroic composition (Figure 14). This rock is marketed under a number oftrade names including Imperial Black, Austral Black or Adelaide Black Granite.Although technically not granite, it is marketing names reflect variationsin the characteristics of the rock including visibility of igneous layering in thefinal product. It is rich black in colour and usually uniform in texture. There area number of commercial quarries selling to all parts of Australia, New Zealand,Japan and America.The source of the stone used in the Geoscience Australia building is theBlack Hill quarries near Mannum, north-east of Adelaide, South Australia. Thisquarry has produced ornamental stone that have featured in the John Martinsand David Jones building (Adelaide), and Parliament House and the NationalLibrary buildings in Canberra.It is estimated the norite was formed 475 - 485 million years ago duringthe Ordovician. The mineralogy of the stone is given by Austral Asian Graniteon their web site and is:MineralBy volume.Plagioclase feldspar 50%Potash feldspar 5%Pyroxene 30%Biotite 8%Opaque Oxides 5%Other 2%Persian red travertine slabsTravertine is used in the nine free standing blade walls in the groundfoyer (Figure 15 and 16). Travertine is a chemically altered banded limestonesedimentary rock. The source of the stone is uncertain. Literature sourcessuggests it may have come from Italy. The red colour is caused by iron-bearingminerals that form during precipitation of the limestone. The yellowish materialfilling the former holes and spaces is an epoxy compound added duringpolishing to seal the building stone.10

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Formation of TravertineTravertine, or calc-tufa, is a rather dense, banded limestone (calciumcarbonate) that is sometimes moderately porous. It is formed in several waysincluding evaporation within hot springs forming tufa sheets, or in caves where itforms stalactites, stalagmites, or dripstone. Travertine is found in greatestabundance where hot and cold springs have been active for tens of thousandsof years.When travertine, or tufa (calcareous sinter form), is being deposited inhot springs, any pressure drop causes carbon dioxide to be released from thewaters which lowers the solubility of the calcium carbonate and results in theprecipitation of the travertine. High rates of evaporation in hot-spring pools canalso lead to supersaturation which causes precipitation of calcium carbonateand formation of travertine. Travertine formed in caves is the result of completeevaporation of waters rich in calcium carbonate; similar to the process thatforms stalactites and stalagmites.The most famous travertine location is Bagni di Tivoli, 20 kilometres eastof Rome. At this locality travertine deposits are over 90 meters thick and havebeen quarried for over two thousand years. The name Travertine was derivedfrom the name of locality where it was found, Tivoli. Tivoli was also referred toas Tibur. ‘Tibur stone’ or ‘lapis Tiburtinus’ in its Latin form, with only a littlecorruption became Travertine.The most famous uses of Travertine as a building stone is in the whitestone facing slabs of the Colosseum. Although obviously weathered by time,the fact that its still in place attests to its great resistance and strength.11

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.AcknowledgementsI would like to thank the following people for help on various aspects of thisrecord;Paul Lubke. Paul Lubke Quarries, Holbrook, N. S. W., Australia for columnarstones and a polished slab of basalt from the Murrays Crossing Quarry.Rodney Henrick, retired, Tumut Lime and Marble Pty Ltd, N. S. W., Australia.for information on quarries and photography of honing (polishing) basalt.Craige Henrick, Quarry Manager, Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W., Australia forpermission to visit the Wee Jasper Quarry and technical data on the basalt andtravertine blade walls.Tumbarumba Shire Council, N. S. W., Australia for information on the locationof the Murrays Crossing Quarry.John Wilkinson, Bald Hill Quarry Pty Ltd, Jugiong, N. S. W., Australia forpermission to visit the Murrays Crossing Quarry and technical data on thebasalt.Geoff Walters, Quarry Manager, Tumbarumba, N. S. W., Australia for help andinformation on Murrays Crossing Quarry.Graeme Whatman, Adelong, N. S. W. Australia for aerial photography of WeeJasper and Murrays Crossing Quarry sites.Stanley and Margaret Bowditch, Muttama, N. S. W. Australia for help infinding the Wee Jasper Quarry.Robyn Butler, Isabella Plains, A. C. T. Australia for photography of the WeeJasper and Murrays Crossing Quarries.Dean Hoatson, Geoscience Australia for technical advise, reviewing andencouragement to produce this record.Shona Blewett, Geoscience Australia for reviewing this record.Steve Ross, Geoscience Australia for information on the Geoscience Australiabuilding.Jeremy Russell, Geoscience Australia for photography of GeoscienceAustralia.David Gibson, Geoscience Australia for technical advise and age dates onbasalt.Kristy VanPutten, Geoscience Australia for production of location maps.Steve Read, Geoscience Australia for building records.Chris Fitzgerald, Geoscience Australia for photography of the foyer and frontand rear entrances of the building.Chris Foudoulis and Stephen Ridgway, Geoscience Australia for polishing ofbasalt from Murrays Crossing Quarry.Bruce Goleby, Geoscience Australia for reviewing this record.12

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.GlossaryApatiteA common phosphate mineral. Found in most rock types including igneous,sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.BasaltA common, dark-coloured, fine-grained extrusive igneous volcanic rock.Blade WallsDescription used in the building plans to describe the 9 free-standing walls inthe ground foyer of Geoscience Australia.BluestoneA commercial term for basalt.BiotiteRock forming mineral belonging to the mica group of silicate minerals.Columnar structuresA close packed series of hexagonal ‘prisms’ forming perpendicular to the upperand lower surfaces of a lava flow and forming as a result of contraction duringcooling of the lava. Most often seen in basaltic lava flows.FaultA fracture in the Earth's crust caused from the breaking of rocks over a largedistance and to depth.FeldsparsGroup of rock-forming silicate minerals in most types of igneous, sedimentaryand metamorphic rocks.GabbroA coarse-grained intrusive igneous plutonic rock comprising mainly feldspar andpyroxene varying amounts of olivine.GraniteA coarse-grained, silica-rich intrusive igneous rock.HonedA rock surface that has been ground smooth.IddingsiteAn alteration product of the mineral olivine.IgneousOne of the three main rock types; formed by the cooling and solidifying ofmolten magma or lava.NephelineA rock forming silicate. Occurs in intrusive and volcanic rocks.13

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.NoriteDark variety of gabbro. Contains mainly plagioclase and differs from gabbro bythe presence of orthopyroxene.OlivineCommon mineral of mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks.PhosphateA mineral compound belonging to the apatite group of minerals.PlutonicIgneous rock that has formed beneath the earth’s surface.PyroxeneGroup of rock-forming silicate minerals in mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks.SedimentaryOne of the three main rock types, formed by the deposition of sand, grit andclay fragments eroded from pre-existing rocks.SilicateThe most common compound in the earths crust.14

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.ReferencesBates, R. L. and Jackson, J. A., 1987. Glossary of Geology. Penguin Books.Whitten, D. G. A. and Brooks, R. V., 1987. Dictionary of Geology. AmericanGeological Institute.Schumann, W., 1994. Collins Photo Guide. Rocks Minerals and Gemstones.Foden, J., Elburg, M. A., Dougherry-Page, J. and Burtt, A., 2006. The Timingand Duration of the Delamerian Orogeny: Correlation with the Ross Orogen andImplications for Gondwana Assembly. The Journal of Geology, 2006, 114, p.189–210.Gibson, D. L., 2007. Potassium-Argon Ages of Late Mesozoic and CainozoicIgneous Rocks of Eastern Australia. CRC Leme Open File Report 193.Abell, R. S. 1991. Geology of the Canberra 1:100,000 sheet area. BMR Bulletin233.Geoscience Australia Building Plans and Inclusions, 1997. GeoscienceAustralia.GA’s New Building.1998. Information pack given to officers moving to GA.Offler, R., 2006. Petrographic Descriptions of Samples Jugiong andTumbarumba. Report for John Wilkinson, Bald Hill Quarry Pty Ltd.Boral Construction Materials, Materials Testing and Environmental Services,2001. Petrographic Descriptions of Samples from Wee Jasper Quarry.Web Sites - Noritewww.tru-stone.com/pages/forms_lit.aspwww.pir.sa.gov.au/minerals/geology/commodities/dimension_stone?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=printer_friendlywww.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/first_speech/sfs-5L6.htmwww.melocco.com.au/html/austral_black.htmlwww.users.picknowl.com.au/~stanbatten/default.13index.htmlwww.aagranite.com.au/products/austral-black.htmlPersian red travertinewww.persianredtravertine.com/www.eurasian.com/iran/travertine/index.htmlwww.iht.com/articles/2006/02/16/news/remarble.phpwww.answers.com/topic/travertine?cat=technologyDeakin Faulthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Australian_Capital_TerritoryBasaltwww.capitalquarries.com.au/15

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Appendix 1R5.2 SCHEDULE OF INTERNAL MATERIALS AND FINISHESNote: The colours in this Finishes Schedule take precedence over any colours nominatedin mechanical, electrical and hydraulics documents.GROUND FLOORFoyer, Reception and DisplayHARD FLOORINGFAULT LINE IN HARD FLOORINGINTERNALLYCENTRAL CARPET SQUARESKIRTINGS UNDER DISPLAY WALLSSTONE FACING TO BLADE WALLSPERFORATED TIMBER BULKHEADSTEELWORK OVERLIGHTING TO LOBBY/DISPLAY AREAWALLS BESIDE RECEPTION DESKBOTH SIDES AND RETURNSPAINTED WALLSPAINTED NORTH WALLS INCORRIDORS ADJACENT FOYER G.113DISPLAY BOARDS ON TRAVERTINEBLADE WALLSDISPLAY BOARDS ON EAST ANDWEST WALLS OF FOYERDISPLAY BOARDS IN AIRLOCK ATSOUTHERN ENTRANCEDISPLAY CASE FRAMESSawn honed bluestone slabs from TumutLime and Marble Company NSWImperial Black granite polished 600mmwideHand made tufted rug to special designand colour by Customweave Rugs or Rugsby Design with bluestone surrounds to eastand west sidesBrushed aluminium finishPersian Red travertine slabsPerforated Craftwood panels faced inClarity laminate to resemble naturalCraftwood from Laminex IndustriesDulux Master Palette colour Captain’s Walk70BG 51/116Natural anodised finishPerstorp Laminate colour PP 1866 UOrange butt jointedDulux Master Palette colour Star Cluster30GG 72/016Dulux Master Palette colour Walden’sPond 30GY 58/098Finesse Fabrics ‘Vision’ screen cloth colourTerracotta 69091Finesse Fabrics ‘Vision’ screen cloth colourMint 49026Finesse Fabrics ‘Jubilee’ colour Grey19687 with Clarity laminate surroundsNatural anodised aluminium16

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 1. Geoscience Australia building. View looking south-east. Photographyby Geoscience AustraliaFigure 2. Former premises of Tumut Lime and Marble Pty Ltd, Adelong Road,Tumut, N. S. W. Photography by Peter Butler.17

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 3. Rodney Henrick at his workshop honing (polishing) a basalt floor tile.Photography by Rodney Henrick.18

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 4. Basalt plinths at the rear entrance to Geoscience Australia.Photography by Chris Fitzgerald.Figure 5. Location of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W.19

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 6. Aerial view of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. Photography byGraeme Whatman.Figure 7. Flagstones and feature stones. Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W.Photography by Robyn Butler.20

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 8. Main working face of the Wee Jasper Quarry, N. S. W. Photographyby Peter Butler.21

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 9. Location of Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W.Figure 10. Aerial view of Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W.Photography by Graeme Whatman.22

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 11. Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N. S. W., showingcolumnar structures. Photograph by Peter Butler.Figure 12. Columnar structures at Murrays Crossing Quarry, Tumbarumba, N.S. W. Photography by Robyn Butler.23

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 13. ‘Fault’ line in the paving and widows of main entrance to GeoscienceAustralia. Photography by Chris Fitzgerald.Figure 14. ‘Fault’ line running through the basalt tiles and carpet in the foyer ofGeoscience Australia. Photography by Chris Fitzgerald.24

Description of ornamental building stones used in the ground foyer of the Geoscience Australia Building,Symonston, ACT.Figure 15. Blade walls at Geoscience Australia. Photography by ChrisFitzgerald.Figure 16. Blade walls at Geoscience Australia. Photography by ChrisFitzgerald.25