The Ability to Curve Lightweight Panels and Its Applications

The flexing property of our stone panels allows them to do many great things, from a functionality standpoint. The invaluable security and stability they give to buildings to endure both man-made and natural disasters can\’t be overstated and is something that we\’ve covered already here on our blog.

While functionality is huge, perhaps the icing on the cake for designers and architects is the aesthetic potential that this same flexing property of StoneLite® gives them. The thin stone veneer and reinforced  aluminum honeycomb that make up our lightweight panels gives them the unprecedented ability to be curved!

\"WashOur lightweight limestone panels can be curved to a 20-foot radius, offering builders design potential that just can\’t be found with dimensional stone. The ability to curve our lightweight limestone panels can be taken advantage in a similar fashion to the way that it was used on Kimbrough Hall at Washington State University. Here, the exterior stone siding of the building was curved in a manner which gives the building a very unique and dramatic look. Of all the buildings on the Washington State campus, Kimbrough Hall certainly stands out because of its curved exterior stone siding.

Similarly, the ability to curve StoneLite® can be leveraged for a building\’s interior as well. Granite and marble can be curved to a 40-foot radius and have been used on projects such as the U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. Here, granite lightweight panels were curved and incorporated to complete the architects vision for the interior of the building.  The granite lightweight panels which were used achieved a look which may have not otherwise been possible with other stone products.