The inaugural meeting of the United Kingdom Cast Stone Association (UKCSA) was held on 20th February 1991, following dis...
The inaugural meeting of the United Kingdom Cast Stone Association (UKCSA) was held on 20th February 1991, following discussions during late 1990 between the leading manufacturers of cast stone at the time. UKCSA was formed as an independent trade association to increase specifiers’ and contractors’ awareness and confidence in cast stone and to establish and maintain the highest standards of product quality and usage.
In February 2022 the Cast Stone Association celebrated its 31st anniversary as the guardian of quality for cast stone, and has grown to become the first point of reference for all matters regarding cast stone. UKCSA is an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible trade association.
The Association represents the leading UK manufacturers of cast stone, and associated trades. All cast stone manufacturing Full Members, and Associate Members, must comply with the criteria established by the Association as a condition of membership.
What is Cast Stone - Cast stone is finding a growing market. It can add distinction and value out of all proportion to its cost. The material has caught the imagination of architects, builders and their clients from the classical past in Britain to the present day. There’s a simple reason why. It can transform plain facades into something special. It offers class at an affordable price.
What is Cast Stone?
The UKCSA and British Standard definition for cast stone is “any material made with natural aggregates and cementitious binder that is intended to resemble and be used in a similar way to natural stone.”
Cast Stone is often referred to by alternative names such as reconstructed stone, reconstituted stone, artificial stone, synthetic stone, manufactured stone, art stone etc, with reconstructed stone and reconstituted stone being the most common, but the preferred name is ‘cast stone’. The British Standards have further stated that “Specifiers, manufacturers and users of cast stone are advised to avoid terms such as ‘reconstructed’, ‘reconstituted’, ‘artificial’, ‘synthetic’ ” as “These adjectives could imply that the named stone (e.g. ‘reconstructed Portland stone’) is the sole aggregate”.
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Cast stone is made by using one of three main manufacturing methods, semi-dry, wet-cast or fibre reinforced. It must meet the requirements of BS1217: 2008 or, better still, the more stringent requirements of the UKCSA Standard.
Cast stone is ideal for architectural dressings that call for fine detail around entrances, openings and gables. All types of architectural dressings can be produced – large, small and structurally reinforced. Cast stone can take the form of garden ornamentation and also ashlar masonry where it is often referred to as reconstructed stone.
