Tuffeau Limestone

About
Item Details
- Material Type:
- Limestone
- Origin:
France (Anjou-Touraine, Val de Loire) - Primary Color(s):
- Beige
- Recommended Usage:
- Kitchen and bathroom countertops, wash basins, building stone, ornamental stone, stairs, interior, exterior wall and floor applications, mosaic, waterjet pattern, wall panels, table tops, balustrades, columns, wall and pool copings, pool pavers, sculptures, fireplaces
- Additional Names:
- Tuffeau de Bourre Limestone, Tuffeau de Touraine Limestone, Pierre de Tuffeau, Tuffeau Beige Limestone, Tuffeau Blanc Limestone, White Tufa Limestone, White Tuff Stone, Pierre et Lumiere, Tuffeau de Saint Cyr, Tuffeau Stone, Tuffeau Limestone
- Finished Surface:
- Polished,Bush Hammered,Tumbled,Brushed,Honed,Split,Machine Cut,Natural Surface,Sandblasted,Combed,Leathered,Water Jet,Filled,Chiseled,Pickling
Testing
- Density:
- 1300 - 1500 kg/m3 (NF EN 1936)
- Compressive Strength:
- 9 - 15 MPa (NF EN 1926)
Description
Tuffeau Limestone is a fine-grained, light creamy beige limestone quarried in the Anjou-Touraine region of Val de Loire, France. This soft yet durable sedimentary stone is composed primarily of compacted marine fossils and calcareous deposits, giving it a distinctive porous texture. Known for its workability, Tuffeau has been historically used in the construction of châteaux, cathedrals, and traditional French buildings throughout the Loire Valley. Its natural elegance, thermal insulation properties, and weathering characteristics make it a favored choice for architectural restoration, masonry, and decorative elements.
Volumetric weight: 1300-1400 kg / m3 (NF EN 1936)
Porosity: 40-50% (NF EN 1936)
Sound propagation speed: 1800 to 2100 m / s (NF B 10-505)
Compressive Strength: 9 to 15 MPa (NF EN 1926)
Capillary C1: 15-25 g.cm-2.mn-0.5 (NF B 10-502)
Capillarity C2: 20-30 g.cm-2.mn-0.5 (NF B 10-502)
Extraction site Anjou-Touraine
Geological position Secondary Era: Late Cretaceous
Turonian stage
Age 90 million years
Petrography
Quartz
micas
glauconite
opal cristobalite
Clay minerals (smectite, illite, kaolinite)
Heavy minerals (tourmaline, staurolite, andalusite)
Physical Characteristics
Bulk density 1300-1500 kg / m3
Porosity 40-49%
Speed of sound from 1350 to 2040 m / s
Compressive strength 6-12 N / mm2 (1N / mm2 +/- = 10.2 kg / cm2)
paleontology
Mainly fossil mollusks (bivalves)
Echinoderms (micraster)
bryozoans























