Public plazas & transit
Airport aprons, station concourses and bus stations — surfaces that take constant heavy footfall and occasional vehicle loading.
The hardest stone we cut
Black Basalt Stone
Volcanic rock — dense, near non-porous and close to three times the compressive strength of Kota. Where a floor or paving has to take real punishment, this is the stone for it.
The material
About Black Basalt
Basalt is igneous — cooled fast from lava into an extremely tight, fine grain with almost no bedding planes. It doesn't stain, spall in frost, soften near salt water or fade, which is why it turns up on airport aprons, plazas, transit stations and pool decks everywhere it's available.
Colour runs jet black to charcoal, and the finish changes the read completely. Grooved and tumbled surfaces stay a matte charcoal with real grip underfoot. Rock-faced is split and chiselled for a cladding face with a strong shadow line. Ask for a sample before you commit — a screen never shows black stone honestly.
It costs more than our Kota or Mandana ranges, and it should — it saws slower, wears tooling faster and yields less finished stone per block than a sedimentary quarry. Specify it where the loading or the exposure actually justifies it.
What we're stocking it in
Grooved slabs cut with anti-skid ribs for treads and ramps, tumbled paving units, rock-faced cladding, and crazy-paving flag — all cut and finished at our own unit, photographed below as it actually leaves the yard.
In stock
What's on the ground right now.
Every photograph here is our own stock at Ramganj Mandi, not a stock library.
Colour on a screen is indicative only — basalt reads darker wet and lighter in direct sun. Ask for a physical sample before you specify.
Available finishes
Five finishes, cut to order.
Honed and mirror-polish basalt can also be cut to order — ask us for a lead time, since we hold grooved, tumbled, rock-faced and sawn stock ourselves and bring polish finishes in for specific orders.
Technical
Properties.
| Property | Figure |
|---|---|
| Stone type | Fine-grained igneous volcanic rock |
| Colour | Jet black to charcoal grey; deepens when polished |
| Density | 2,800 – 3,000 kg/m³ |
| Compressive strength | 1,500 – 3,000 kg/cm² (150 – 300 MPa) |
| Modulus of rupture | 200 – 250 kg/cm² (20 – 25 MPa) |
| Water absorption | Under 0.5% |
| Mohs hardness | 6 |
| Frost & salt resistance | Excellent — suitable for coastal and de-iced surfaces |
| Acid / alkali resistance | Excellent — chemically inert silicate |
| Slip resistance | Very high when grooved or tumbled |
Figures are typical ranges for commercially graded material, not a guaranteed test certificate — tell us if your specification needs certified testing and we'll arrange it.
Sizes
Formats and thickness.
Anything below is routine stock or a quick cut. Anything else, send the drawing.
| Size (metric) | Size (imperial) | Thickness | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 × 600 mm | 2′ × 2′ | 20, 25, 30 mm | General paving and flooring |
| 600 × 900 mm | 2′ × 3′ | 25, 30 mm | Large-format paving |
| 300 × 300 mm | 1′ × 1′ | 15, 18, 20 mm | Interior tiles, cladding |
| 300 × 600 mm | 1′ × 2′ | 18, 20, 25 mm | Cladding, treads, borders |
| 1200 × 600 mm | 4′ × 2′ | 25, 30 mm | Lobbies, feature floors |
| Gangsaw slabs | Bed-run | 18 – 30 mm | Counters, cut-to-size stock |
| Crazy paving | Random flag | 20 – 30 mm | Garden paths, irregular paving |
| Cobbles & setts | 50×50, 100×100, 100×200 mm | 40 – 60 mm | Driveways, plazas, edging |
Dimensions are nominal. Calibrated material is held to ±1 mm on thickness. See the full size and weight reference for coverage and truckload figures.
Comparison
How basalt compares to what else we cut.
All three are supplied from our own unit. The right one is decided by loading, exposure and budget, not by preference.
| Stone | Compressive strength | Water absorption | Density | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kota limestone | 1,800 – 2,200 | Under 0.40% | 2,400 – 2,600 | Interior floors, courtyards, heavy foot traffic |
| Mandana sandstone | 800 – 1,200 | 1.0 – 2.0% | 2,200 – 2,400 | Exterior paving, cladding, heritage work |
| Black basalt | 1,500 – 3,000 | Under 0.50% | 2,800 – 3,000 | Public plazas, transit, heavy-duty paving |
Compressive strength and density in kg/cm² and kg/m³. Figures are typical ranges for commercially graded material.
Where it works
Typical applications.
Driveways & forecourts
Grooved or tumbled for grip, cut thick enough for vehicle loading without cracking.
Pool decks & coastal work
Near-zero absorption and excellent salt resistance where lighter stone would eventually spall.
Facade cladding
Rock-faced panels, mechanically fixed or adhered, for an elevation with real depth and shadow.
Samples
See it before you commit.
No screen renders black stone honestly. Tell us which finish you're considering and we'll courier physical pieces.
