Freshwater Pearl Granite Slabs

Freshwater Pearl® ASTM Testing

A third-party used ASTM Standards to test the strength of Freshwater Pearl®, and found the following results:

ASTM C97 Standard Test Method: 0.338% Absorption by weight; .40% maximum required.
ASTM C97 Standard Test Method: 164.75 lb/ft3 Density; 160 lbs/ft3 minimum required.
ASTM C170 Standard Test Method: 20,459 psi Compressive strength; 19,000 psi minimum required.
ASTM C1353 Standard Test Method: 70.34 HA Abrasion resistance; 25.0 HA minimum required.
ASTM C880 Standard Test Method: 1,515.25 psi Flexural strength; 1,200 psi minimum required.

A third-party used ASTM C1549 Standard Test Method to test the solar reflectivity of Freshwater Pearl® and Freshwater Pearl® with a flamed finish obtained a 0.45 solar reflectivity. Using the LEED v4 rating system for LEED Certification, you can receive 2 points as a result of Heat Island Reduction. To achieve 2 points for a non-roof area, the paving material must score a .33 solar reflectivity or higher upon installation.

Freshwater Pearl® Petrographic Examination

A third-party completed a petrographic examination of Freshwater Pearl® in accordance with the procedures of ASTM C295 (Petrographic Examination of Aggregates for Concrete). The primary goal of the examination was to determine whether Freshwater Pearl® contains minerals that are known to produce adverse characteristics that would affect its appearance after exposure to natural weathering conditions, such as fading, discoloration, staining, pitting, cracking, etc.

The petrographic examination indicates that Freshwater Pearl® “is a very fresh granite whose composition, texture and degree of weathering are such that none is likely to discolor significantly after exposure in normal environments and minerals known to stain, fade, discolor, pit, scratch or produce efflorescence were specifically searched for, but not found.”

The secondary goal of the examination was to determine if microfracturing or other features that may affect the physical properties of the granite are present. After examining Freshwater Pearl®, it was found that microfractures that affect the physical properties of granite (natural rift cracks), are “rather difficult to recognize in the hand specimen of Freshwater Pearl® granite, while relatively well defined in thin sections cut perpendicular to the rift plane.” In Freshwater Pearl®, the rift “is not as well defined or as prominent as in other similar granites, and consequently, does not have as strong an effect on the granite’s strength.”

The examination concludes that Freshwater Pearl® granite will likely perform “very well” under normal weathering conditions, and should perform as well as similar commercial granites that are currently on the market.