350 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. 
4.—-NOTES ON SOME WELL-KNOWN AUSTRALIAN 
BUILDING STONES. 
By J. Naneusz, F.1.A., N.S.W. 
THE intention of the writer is to bring before the members 
of the Engineering Section the results of some tests made on 
some of the best known of the Australian building stones. 
The pieces of stone were prepared so as to have as nearly as 
possible an uniform amount of surface. All the specimens 
were carefully dried at a temperature of 100 deg. centigrade. 
They were then carefully weighed and put, resting on pin 
points, in a bath, the water being all the time 2 ft. deep. After 
being left for twenty-four hours in the water, they were again 
weighed, and the increase noted. The cubic specimens were 
afterwards tested in the large testing machine at the Sydney 
Technical College to ascertain their resistance to compression. 
It is always a difficult matter to dress such specimens with 
accuracy, but the best attempt possible was made to get the 
specimens with at least two opposite faces quite parallel. Per- 
fect accuracy was not altogether reached, but the shape was 
fairly good, excepting in the case of No. 3, which was a little 
out. ‘The cubes were tested between pieces of stout millboard, 
which seemed to serve well. Owing to difficulties in the way of 
getting specimens Nos. 1, 14, 15, and 16 prepared, there was 
not time to get compression tests made. 
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT TESTS. 
Gaso Isutanp Syenite (Victoria). 
The specimen (No. 3 in the table) stood up to 11.20 tons 
per square inch, and even then collapse did not take place, the 
destruction being slowly developed. The shape was not. per- 
fect, otherwise the cube would have withstood the whole 100 
tons of the machine. 
Bowrau “TRACHYTE.”’ 
No. 4 in the table is a sample of the Bowral stone. This 
piece took up 3 drs. of water, and stood 5.69 tons per square 
inch, failing very suddenly, and going to pieces. Comparing 
this result with those obtained by Professor Warren, it would 
seem that the specimen was not a good one. 
