UKCSA urges caution when buying cast stone

Contractors need to implement caution when purchasing cast stone from British manufacturers as most operate without adequate quality assurance or testing regimes, and may not be working to proper standards.

That is the latest message to come from the UK Cast Stone Association (UKCSA), which urged purchasers of cast stone to ask the following questions of their suppliers:
What tests do they carry out and can you see the results?
Do they have proper batching and curing facilities?
Can you visit the factory?
Will they cut loose once you've taken delivery of their product?

"There's no reason at all why specifiers must take a chance on the quality of their cast stone," said UKCSA chairman Andy Cotton. Failure to heed its advice, says UKCSA, could result in poor product performance and site handling, leading to costly remedial action or claims.

There are currently 160 cast stone manufacturers in Britain. The UKCSA, which has a strict vetting procedure for those looking to join, was unable to say how many of these fell into its category of risk, but added that the 160 estimated firms could be a "conservative figure". By contrast, UKCSA currently has nine full members.

UKCSA told CJ that figures had been taken from companies that have contacted UKCSA to join but failed to meet the required standard. Neil Sparrow, secretary of UKCSA, said the bad reputation caused by poor manufacturers was contributing to a decline in the use of cast stone in construction.

"People are calling us up blaming cast stone when things go wrong, despite the fact they went with a cheaper option from someone who hasn't met the standard. "They should not be looking at the product, but who supplied it. Many manufacturers are not in control of their mix designs, which causes issues over consistency."

UKCSA said the minimum standard required of its members was 40% higher than that demanded by both BS1217 and the new European standard. In September, the National Housebuilding Council stated that all members should be using BS1217 as a minimum for cast stone on housing developments. Ultimately they should be adopting the UKCSA standard.

[Contract Journal, 13 December 2006, p15]