References

ASTM International, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), was formed over a century ago, when a forward-thinking group of engineers and scientists got together to address frequent rail breaks in the burgeoning railroad industry. Their work led to standardization on the steel used in rail construction, ultimately improving railroad safety for the public. As the century progressed and new industrial, governmental and environmental developments created new standardization requirements, ASTM answered the call with consensus standards that have made products and services safer, better and more cost-effective. The proud tradition and forward vision that started in 1898 is still the hallmark of ASTM International.

ASTM Committee C 18 on Dimension Stone was formed in 1926. C 18 meets twice per year, usually in April and October, with about 20 members attending over two days of technical meetings sometimes including a tour of a quarry and stone fabrication mill. The Committee, with a current membership exceeding 100 volunteers has jurisdiction of over 25 standards, published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 4.07. Committee C 18 has 6 technical subcommittees that maintain jurisdiction over these standards. Information on this subcommittee structure and C 18's portfolio of approved standards and work items under construction are available from www.astm.org. These standards have and continue to play a preeminent role in all aspects important to the effective standardization of dimension stone, including, testing, specifications and construction practices.

Dimension Stone Design Manual, VIII, Marble Institute of America, 2016.

USGS Minerals Yearbook 2006, by Thomas P. Dolley, U.S. Geological Survey, Dept. of the Interior.

Citations

1. In 1879, Congress passed legislation to rename the Coast and Geodetic Survey and transfer it to the Department of the Interior establishing the U.S. Geological Survey for "(the) classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain."
2. USGS Minerals Yearbook 2006, by Thomas P. Dolley, U.S. Geological Survey, Dept. of the Interior.
3. ASTM International, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), was formed in 1898.
4. Dimension Stone Design Manual, VII, Marble Institute of America, 2007, pages 5-9 and 5-10 describes the geological classification of granite as defined by the American Geological Institute (AGI).
5. "(Congress) did not suppose our merchants to be naturalists, or geologists, or botanists. It applied its attention to the description of articles as they derived their appellations in our own markets, in our domestic as well as our foreign traffic." Quoted from, Two Hundred Chests of Tea, 22 U.S. 430 (1824).