In recent decades stone has been relegated to a decorative cladding material but for millennia it was the predominant load-bearing structural element. Revisiting our view of stone as a structural material could have a huge impact on project teams trying to meet ambitious carbon targets. Stone can have as little as 10% of the embodied carbon of a concrete or steel structure of equivalent size, dependant on the location of the quarry.

In combination with post-tensioning, spans of around 12m are possible. In post- war France this type of structure was known as ‘austerity construction’ for the modest means required to create timber / stone composite structures.

Can we learn how to put stone back into our projects and reap the carbon rewards?