CaesarStone – Quartz Surfaces [ECG-Premium] [Cat. 3 – Office, Distributor or Agent] | ecospecifier

CaesarStone – Quartz Surfaces [ECG-Premium] [Cat. 3 – Office, Distributor or Agent]

Overview:

Nonporous, scratch resistant low maintenance quartz surfaces suitable for commercial and residential interior applications.

Product Description:

CaesarStone’s Quartz Surfaces have proven properties of stain, crack, scratch, chemical and heat resistance, and are suitable for carefree kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, tabletops, working surfaces, wall paneling and floors.

CaesarStone Quartz Surfaces are nonporous, a quality that prevents the growth of surface mould and microbes. They are low VOC, GREENGUARD Certified and do not require any chemical sealers or treatments.

Made from a minimum of 76% and up to 93% quartz content, the quartz surfaces are manufactured under ISO 14001 standards and recycle waste water and waste materials used in production.

Click here for Supplier contact details or make an enquiry directly to the supplier using the Product Enquiry Form at the bottom of the page.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Options	Slabs 305cm x 144cm in gauges 30mm, 20mm and 13mm
Colours	30 colours
Warranty	10 years
Expected Life	20 to lifetime for Residential, 20 years Commercial
Indicative Costs	Please contact distributor for pricing
Purchase Options	Outright purchase only
Constituents	Crystalline Silica (Quartz) – 76% Polymeric Resin – 15% Mineral Additives – 9%
Technical Specifications	Flexural Strength 593kg/cm² Water Absorption .02% by weight Bulk SpecificGravity 2.411gr/cm³ Density 2409.98 kg/m
National & International Standards	NSF 51 ISO 14001 IS0 9001 OHSAS 18001 GREENGUARD GREENGUARD for Children and Schools UBC Flame Spread Class 1
Country of Origin	Israel
Projects	Caesarstone success stories
Preparation	Does not require any sealing or treatment after installation. Installation procedure is standard for solid surfaces.

ECOSPECIFIER LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT

INTEGRATED DESIGN AND POLICY ISSUES

Due to the manufacturing method of the tiles they are highly durable with low maintenance. The method, developed by Breton Italy produces high physical-mechanical properties.

Highly durable and low maintenance floors are favourable from a building life and health perspective.

This is due to lowered costs associated with maintenance and replacement of materials and added productivity benefits from low VOC materials and cleaning method.

HUMAN HEALTH

Health

The nonporous quality of quartz surfaces prevents the growth of surface moulds and microbes, while its low-maintenance nature requires less chemical detergent use. The surfaces are certified for food grade use (NSF 51).

Comfort

Not Applicable

Indoor Environment Quality

The products are has achieved certification under the GGPS.001 GREENGUARD IAQ Standard for Building Materials, Finishes, and Furnishings standard and GGPS.002 GREENGUARD Children & Schools Standard. The products has been tested for its VOCs, formaldehyde, total aldehydes, total phthalates and 4-phenylcyclohexene and meets the requirements of the relevant Greenguard standard.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Not Applicable

Safety

Not Applicable

Accessibility

Not Applicable

ECOLOGICAL QUALITY

Terrestrial

Emissions – Quartzmining and processing can produce emissions to land from surface impoundments of liquids, solids and slurries and from storage facilities and cause siltation and erosion if not handled correctly.

Physical – Mining causes localized impacts on land, causing erosion and disturbance of soil profiles. The quarries that CaesarStone sources from are required by local authorities to restore the quarry after they consume the quartz from the site.

Aquatic

Emissions – The manufacturing of the product has limited toxic emissions to surface water. During the manufacturing process, waste water is recycled and dust particles filtered out and compacted for disposal, sale, or reuse.

Physical – Physical impacts are limited because water used in manufacture is recycled limiting the use of clean water and creation of waste water.

Atmosphere

Greenhouse intensity – 55kgCO2e/m²*of 20mm thick bench top

*Calculation is based on combination of data sourced from supplier and Bath University, UK.

Transport intensity – Product is manufactured in Israel. GHG intensities for shipping product are shown below. Shipping port from country of origin is Haifa, Israel. Destination port is Durban, South Africa.

Product weight	Distance to destination port	Energy Intensity - Container Shipping	GHG Intensity - Container Shipping
56.82kg / per functional unit	8765.5km	0.000135MJ / kg.km	0.000011kgCO2e / kg.km

Greenhouse Intensity for Container Shipping of Quartz Surfaces – 5.5 kgCO2e / m² of 20mm thick bench top

Table below provides land transportation greenhouse intensity figures to help calculate the greenhouse gas intensity of land transportation from shipping port.

Light commercial vehicle	Rigid Truck	Articulated Truck
0.001451kgCO2e / kg.km	0.000195kgCO2e / kg.km	0.000169kgCO2e / kg.km

Transport intensity figures sourced from Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990, 1995 and 1999 and WWF International, Inland Navigations and Emissions, 2005.

Operational efficiency – Not Applicable

Re-use Efficiency – Product can easily be removed and reused during its life

Toxics and Pollutants – Silica dust is collected and controlled during the production stage. There are no toxic or chemical pollutants from this product once in use.

Ozone Depletion – Information unavailable

Urban Heat Island Effects – Not Applicable

Noise – Not Applicable

Biodiversity

Sand mining can lead to loss of biodiversity, modified soil profiles, topography and drainage patterns which additionally impact natural vegetation and surrounding biodiversity.

RESOURCE DEPLETION

Resource Efficiency

CaesarStone re-uses production waste, recycles waste water, and uses post consumer recycled mirror and glass in a selection of its products. CaesarStone sources its quartz from a variety of locations, most quartz comes from crushed boulders rather than sand mining.

Recycled Collection - Technical Data

Embodied Fossil Fuel Energy

1247.75 MJ/m²* of 20mm thick slab

*Calculation is based on combination of data sourced from supplier and Bath University, UK.

Transport intensity – Product is manufactured in Israel. Energy intensities for shipping product are shown below. Shipping port from country of origin is Haifa, Israel. Destination port is Durban South Africa.

Energy Intensity for Container Shipping of Quartz Surfaces – 67.2 MJ / m² of 20mm thick slab

Embodied Water

Production process recycles 97% of water. Values for extraction process are unknown as raw materials are sourced from a variety of locations.

Durability

Product is durable with a hardness rating of 6.5 and high flexural strength compared to other bench top materials.

Reusability

Product can be removed and reused during its life.

Repairability

Design for Dematerialisation

Reduces need for chemical cleaners, sealers and maintenance.

Design for Disassembly

Designed to be securely fastened with adhesives

Recyclability

Maintenance

Occasional scrubbing with nonabrasive detergent and water. For further information, please find the following link, http://www.caesarstone.co.za/care_and_maintenace.aspx

Product Takeback Scheme

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

CORPORATE AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Audits and Environmental Reporting

Yes

Convictions

Unknown

Environmental Policy

Yes

Social Enhancement Programs

Unknown

Technology Transfer Programs

Unknown

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

Yes ISO 14001

ECOSPECIFIER ISSUES OF CONCERN / RED LIGHTS

Issues of Concern: The following issues relate only to Occupational settings and product in use has no associated health issues or red lights.

Manufacturing OH&S:

Styrene is a minor (~5%) component of the overall product. The liquid raw materials for the polymeric resin contain styrene, which is classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the IARC. The issue of concern relates to the production process of the product, as harmful contact occurs by inhalation of styrene vapours, which are unavailable after the resin has hardened into the finished product. NOTE: the low VOC aspect of this product is GREENGUARD Certified.

Sodium oxide: Product contains less than 9% sodium oxide, which can cause severe burns (R35). This issue of concern relates to the risks during manufacture, and is not considered a risk during use of the product, as raw materials are fully bound by resin.

Installer OH&S:

ECOSPECIFIER GREENRATE GREEN BUILDING SCHEME PRE-ASSESSMENT

Green Star SA™ Office Version 1