Marble fortifications?

If there's anyone here with some expertise in building materials/architecture I have a question.

If you were guaranteed a sufficient supply of white marble would a wall constructed from it offer good protection during a seige, IE, would marble be functional as well as pleasing to the eye as a defensive material?

I know that granite was more common historically, but I'm wondering if the apparent lack of marble fortifications (that I know of) is due to marble being scarcer/harder to find in large enough formations or if it's also a matter of marble being too soft/breakable.

Granite is slightly denser and I'm fairly sure it's harder since marble is one of those rocks you can scratch with a fingernail. Granite should be a better defense for a given thickness but you can make the (expensive) marble wall thicker if you want. If its purely aesthetic just use the marble as a covering.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Granite is slightly denser and I'm fairly sure it's harder since marble is one of those rocks you can scratch with a fingernail. Granite should be a better defense for a given thickness but you can make the (expensive) marble wall thicker if you want. If its purely aesthetic just use the marble as a covering.

I did quite a bit of renovation work a few years ago. What I know is that Marble is very heavy, and if your house were to be composed of this material, everything would have to be fortified stronger. Instead of wooden beams to support it, you would need to have cement beams laced with steel or iron rods. The firewall, or supporting backbone of the dwelling would also need to be composed of a high category cement laced with iron or steel. A special foundation would also need to be poured. If given a rough estimate of the cost to build such a dwelling, I would say that it would cost millions depending on the size of the house, or structure.

Originally posted by Stoic
I did quite a bit of renovation work a few years ago. What I know is that Marble is very heavy, and if your house were to be composed of this material, everything would have to be fortified stronger. Instead of wooden beams to support it, you would need to have cement beams laced with steel or iron rods. The firewall, or supporting backbone of the dwelling would also need to be composed of a high category cement laced with iron or steel. A special foundation would also need to be poured. If given a rough estimate of the cost to build such a dwelling, I would say that it would cost millions depending on the size of the house, or structure.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
If there's anyone here with some expertise in building materials/architecture I have a question.

If you were guaranteed a sufficient supply of white marble would a wall constructed from it offer good protection during a seige, IE, would marble be functional as well as pleasing to the eye as a defensive material?

I know that granite was more common historically, but I'm wondering if the apparent lack of marble fortifications (that I know of) is due to marble being scarcer/harder to find in large enough formations or if it's also a matter of marble being too soft/breakable.

Go with fortified concrete, can't beat the durability for the price. Besides, what will aesthetics matter during the Zombie Apocalypse.

I also do not believe that it would protect you against a blast any better than a house made of wood, plaster, and bricks. To figure this out just check on the pounds per square foot that an average military issue missile can produce, and you would see that if one were to be shot at any house, that that house would be devastated. I think I'd prefer the weaker and less fortified structure to the one that was categorized as being higher. Even in the event that it was not a missile strike, and just an earthquake.

Originally posted by Robtard
Go with fortified concrete, can't beat the durability for the price. Besides, what will aesthetics matter during the Zombie Apocalypse.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Would a massive marble structure start to sink if it were in a less geologically stable area?

Yes it would, and that's why i pointed out that a special foundation would need to be built. It would also depend on the location. building it close to water would be an obvious no no.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Well actually now that you mention it concrete might be a better idea. This is for a book I've written/am writing (its a complicated situation) and the wall in question is a two hundred foot high circular wall surrounding a Magicratic city constructed by a Romanesque culture, so making it from some kind of fantasy concrete that looks like marble but has all the properties of concrete might be better...still I really like the idea of building a giant wall from such a heavy, rare material.

Call the material Ebony adamantite. 😄 Just trying to help you out OV.

Originally posted by Stoic
Yes it would, and that's why i pointed out that a special foundation would need to be built. It would also depend on the location. building it close to water would be an obvious no no.

Edit: Well it would be Ivory Adamantine, but yeah, it would fit the theme to make it the ancient conception of Adamantine.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
The wall in question is built on a plateau.

Edit: Well it would be Ivory Adamantine, but yeah, it would fit the theme to make it the ancient conception of Adamantine.

My dad is an Architect, and if he were to build a heavy structure on this type of surface which likely overlooks a river, sea or an ocean, I would say that the plateau itself would also need to be reinforced. Steel rods would have to be driven deep into the rock, and attached to the main buildings foundation so that even if the plateau itself failed, the structure would not go with it. Sounds like a cool story.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Well actually now that you mention it concrete might be a better idea. This is for a book I've written/am writing (its a complicated situation) and the wall in question is a two hundred foot high circular wall surrounding a Magicratic city constructed by a Romanesque culture, so making it from some kind of fantasy concrete that looks like marble but has all the properties of concrete might be better...still I really like the idea of building a giant wall from such a heavy, rare material.

If it's magic, then the laws of physics need not apply. Could literally say it's marble but with the tensile strength of steel, just think of a good name to call it. Marcrete, I'm copy-writing that

Ivory Adamantine? This has a good sound to it. 👆

Originally posted by Robtard
If it's magic, then the laws of physics need not apply. Could literally say it's marble but with the tensile strength of steel, just think of a good name to call it. Marcrete, I'm copy-writing that

In this world magic and science are sort of the same, whereas laws are tweaked and ultimately nothing really makes sense (the whole point of the story, or at least a major theme is the inevitable failure of trying to craft and maintain an impregnable gestalt image of reality whether through faith or reason (i.e. magic)) the head wizard is something of a scientist, having discovered (actually codified, since human reality and physical reality are directly connected in most places) gravity and atomic theory (his discovery of electrons and the emptiness of atoms is a cause for one of the characters going insane)). In general most of the laws he codifies are similar or identical to our own, so at least in this area I am looking for some realism. If only to emphasize the unreal aspects of the rest of the novel.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Well yes and no.

In this world magic and science are sort of the same, whereas laws are tweaked and ultimately nothing really makes sense (the whole point of the story, or at least a major theme is the inevitable failure of trying to craft and maintain an impregnable gestalt image of reality whether through faith or reason (i.e. magic)) the head wizard is something of a scientist, having discovered (actually codified, since human reality and physical reality are directly connected in most places) gravity and atomic theory (his discovery of electrons and the emptiness of atoms is a cause for one of the characters going insane)). In general most of the laws he codifies are similar or identical to our own, so at least in this area I am looking for some realism. If only to emphasize the unreal aspects of the rest of the novel.

Hey maybe you could get some ideas from a game called Arcanum of Steamworks, and Magick Obscura. You can download it at www.gog.com. very inexpensive, and great game. I think it has a similar feel to what you are writing about.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Well yes and no.

In this world magic and science are sort of the same, whereas laws are tweaked and ultimately nothing really makes sense (the whole point of the story, or at least a major theme is the inevitable failure of trying to craft and maintain an impregnable gestalt image of reality whether through faith or reason (i.e. magic)) the head wizard is something of a scientist, having discovered (actually codified, since human reality and physical reality are directly connected in most places) gravity and atomic theory (his discovery of electrons and the emptiness of atoms is a cause for one of the characters going insane)). In general most of the laws he codifies are similar or identical to our own, so at least in this area I am looking for some realism. If only to emphasize the unreal aspects of the rest of the novel.

The the marble with the properties of concrete idea seems like it would fit best.

Originally posted by Stoic
Hey maybe you could get some ideas from a game called Arcanum of Steamworks, and Magick Obscura. You can download it at www.gog.com. very inexpensive, and great game. I think it has a similar feel to what you are writing about.

I've actually started drifting away from fantasy influences (naturally I still love fantasy and use some fantasy staples) but on the whole I'd say my book is more influenced by the works of Gabriel-Garcia Marquez, Toni Morrison, and Neil Gaiman than by Tolkien and the like.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
I've heard of it.

I've actually started drifting away from fantasy influences (naturally I still love fantasy and use some fantasy staples) but on the whole I'd say my book is more influenced by the works of Gabriel-Garcia Marquez, Toni Morrison, and Neil Gaiman than by Tolkien and the like.

This game is a bit different than the fantasy games that you have tried. There really is no other game to compare it to. You can choose the path of a Technologist, Mage, or something in between the two, or even a simple Warrior, or barbarian class fighter. For the price that they are selling this particular piece it may not hurt you to check it out. I promise that you will like it. You could literally write a small novel on this game. It kind of makes me wonder why Bethesda hasn't bought up the rights for it.

Make the wall out of compressed silk from Darwin's bark spider. Magicians using spiders makes sense.