Marble on honeycomb: a solution to lighten and strengthen marble
The advantages of honeycomb marble by Haute Decoration & Mondo Marmo Design
18 kg / m² which is why it is also called light marble.
What is less known is that this solution greatly enhances the mechanical resistance properties of the stone in compression and especially in bending. For example, the impact resistance is 60 times greater with a honeycomb stone than with a solid stone. The term reinforced marble can therefore also be used.
The 4 advantages provided by Haute Decoration and Mondo Marmo Design honeycomb marble solutions:
- A weight of only 18 Kg / m². A 20mm thick honeycomb marble panel, i.e. 5mm of marble over 15mm of honeycomb, weighs only 18 Kg / m² against 60 Kg / m² for solid stone of 20mm, i.e. a reduction of 80% weight.
Benefits for your sites
A stone ceiling becomes as easy to achieve as installing plasterboard! And, for example, Haute Decoration and Mondo Marmo Design thus produce doors and drawers in stone, in a continuous vein with the rest of the walls.
Thanks to the reduced weight and XXL dimensions of the panels, the cost of laying a lightweight marble site is greatly reduced compared to a traditional 2 cm massive site. The American trade press estimates that laying honeycomb marble is up to 15 times faster. A saving for the site budget.
- Work with very large formats up to 4.5 m² (3000 x 1500mm).
Benefits for your sites
These dimensions push back the limits of D.T.U 55.2, that is to say less than 1 m² with a slenderness less than or equal to 3.
The walls are now dressed full height, without horizontal joints, and the floors no longer look like an unattractive grid, even with a marble installation edge to edge.
- New design possibilities. Thanks to the mechanical performance provided by the honeycomb panel or the composite panel, designers and architects can exceed the limits of the material.
Benefits for your sites
Haute Decoration and Mondo Marmo Design are able to produce a dining tabletop 3 mt long and only 10 mm thick. We can also design and manufacture furniture entirely dressed in stone and even cover the Saracen arched vaults of a staircase!
- An active sustainable development solution.
Benefits for your sites
The consumption of natural stone is halved with honeycomb marble solutions. Indeed, with 1 m² of stone in 2 cm, we produce 2 m² of panels. This represents a saving of 50% on a construction site.
The idea of reinforcing a stone too fragile for use in marble with a reinforcement panel glued to the back would come from an Irish quarryman in 1960. The concept of reinforced marble on a honeycomb was patented in 1968 in the USA and c It was in 1983 that a building in Dallas received a granite honeycomb facade.
This technology is therefore perfectly mature today (50 years of experience in the USA) and combines the beauty of natural stone with the freedom of design, lightness and ease of installation.
The manufacturing principle of honeycomb marble
Whatever the nature of the composite panel used as a support, the general manufacturing principle remains the same: a very thin stone thickness (3 – 5mm) is associated with a composite support (honeycomb panel – foam – other composites) by an extremely durable and tough space-grade epoxy resin.
The manufacturing process starts with slices of 2 cm thick stones from the blocks extracted from the quarry. The aluminum honeycomb panels are prefabricated in Italy according to EU standards before being glued on both sides of the stone slice.
The sandwich “honeycomb panel – stone – honeycomb panel” is slit through the middle of the stone to produce 2 panels with approximately 7mm of stone. The panels then go to the finish where they must be calibrated according to the architect’s prescription (standard 5mm) before resinating (reinforcing resin applied as standard by Haute Decoration) and polishing.
Depending on the project, the finish is polished, softened, brushed or sandblasted.
Depending on the customer’s requests, the panels are cut to the dimensions of the project, either with a cutter or with a water jet. Corner pieces (miter cuts) are custom made and assembled.
Finally, the finished elements are checked by Haute Decoration before being packaged with the work drawings and an individual identification label.
The quality commitments of Haute Decoration & Mondo Marmo Design
Haute Decoration and its partners have made a commitment to their customers on a quality procedure:
- All your orders are checked and validated by Haute Decoration before shipment.
- Meeting deadlines is one of our quality commitments. Your sites leave on the agreed day.
- The strength and care of the packaging are as important as our production. We ship in a reinforced wooden box, with internal polystyrene wedging and anti-shock label.
- The surface of the stone is calibrated to guarantee the constant thickness of the sandwich. The tolerance of 2mm / mt according to the technical advice of CSTB is acceptable on the facade, but constitutes a major defect in interior marblework.
- In 2019 and already for several years, resin has been applied to most stones to improve the surface finish and strengthen the color. This resin is mechanically removed during the sandwich slitting operation. Haute Decoration systematically applies a new resin coating so that the hues of the stone on the honeycomb are identical to the solid edge.
Matrice Chantier / Solution de marbre sur nid d’abeille de Haute Decoration & Mondo Marmo Design
Determine the Haute Decoration honeycomb marble solution that best suits your needs based on your site and its specificities by choosing an item from the list.
The 7 High Decoration Marble on Honeycomb Solutions
NIDO VETRO – NIDO ALUMINIO – AERO – ALUPANEL – DOPPIO – TAMBURATO – CARBONIO
NIDO VETRO – Lightened marble on aluminum honeycomb support and fiberglass skins
Characteristics
A solid stone veneer is glued with epoxy resin on an aluminum honeycomb panel reinforced with 2 fiberglass skins.
NIDO VETRO is a structural aluminum composite panel, composed of 2 fiberglass skins impregnated with epoxy resin + an aluminum honeycomb core. It is made in Italy, and complies with all the requirements of the legislation in force, that is to say an aluminum quality 3003 (60 microns).
A stone thickness of 5mm is considered a standard by the market. Indeed, this thickness makes it possible to double the surface of a massive slice of stone (a slice of 3000 x 1500 mm in 2 cm allows to have 4.5 m² of panels).
Haute Decoration can increase the stone thickness up to 10mm, with slices of stone 3 cm thick, for floor tiles on pedestal, or for a finish by material removal (for example for a layered finish).
For some non-structural applications with low mechanical stress, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the natural stone veneer up to 3mm (to be validated with the Haute Decoration design office).
NIDO VETRO technical characteristics
| Width (mm) | 1250 – 1500 (Std) |
| Length (mm) | 2.150 – 2550 – 3050 (Std) – 4250 |
| Available thicknesses (mm) | 5 – 10 – 15 – 20 (Std) |
| Dimensional tolerances (mm) | +/- 1 |
| Thicknesses tolerances (mm) | +/- 0.3 |
| Fire classification (E.U.) | Class 1 |
The advantage of the panels offered by Haute Decoration for your projects
- The 2 fiberglass skins of the panels used by Haute Decoration have a density of 500 gr / m² to guarantee maximum resistance to mechanical stress and perfect flatness on the site. The standard offered on the market is only 300 gr / m², sometimes even less with low-cost import panels.
- The cell size of our honeycomb panel is 6mm, instead of 9mm as standard, for better punching and compression performance.
For which sites?
The applications of NIDO VETRO aluminum honeycomb panels are typically those of the stone and marble market, where high mechanical performance and very light weight are required.
They are used for interior and exterior applications (including ventilated facades, where this is the only technical solution validated by CSTB). NIDO VETRO panels are an efficient and proven solution for almost any application.
The solution of the aluminum core panel and fiberglass skin is the best answer (if not the only possible one) to treat the following cases:
- Suspended ceiling: its large dimensions (up to 4.5 m²) and its very light weight (18 Kg / m²) are assets for treating a marble ceiling, especially if it is associated with suitable suspension systems of type Panelsafe from Fastmount.
- Ventilated facade: this type of panel is the only one validated by CSTB.
- For other interior projects (bathroom – wall cladding – furniture and fittings), this type of panel responds well to technical constraints and will satisfy installation constraints.
NIDO ALUMINIO – Lightened marble on aluminum honeycomb support and fiberglass skins
Characteristics
The NIDO ALUMINIO solution consists of a stone veneer (standard 5mm) glued with epoxy resin on a honeycomb panel made only of aluminum (skin and heart). This structural aluminum composite panel is composed of 2 aluminum skins with a thickness of 10 / 10th.
The NIDO ALUMINIO solution provides even better mechanical performance than the NIDO VETRO solution thanks to the 2 aluminum skins with a thickness of 1mm. This gives the “stone + honeycomb panel” sandwich perfect puncture resistance and excellent rigidity for very demanding applications.
NIDO ALUMINIO panels are fire-resistant certified for applications with a very high level of safety such as cruise ships (IMO MED certification).
NIDO ALUMINIO technical characteristics
| Width (mm) | 1250 – 1500 (Std) |
| Length (mm) | 2550 – 3050 (Std) |
| Available thicknesses (mm) | 5 – 10 – 15 – 20 (Std) |
| Dimensional tolerances (mm) | +/- 1 |
| Thicknesses tolerances (mm) | +/- 0.3 |
| Fire classification (E.U.) | No fire certification A2 (M0) and IMO MED |
The advantages of the panels offered by Haute Decoration for your projects
- The 2 aluminum skins of the NIDO ALUMINIO panels with a thickness of 10 / 10th, ie 1mm, which gives the panel exceptional rigidity and compressive strength of 4.3 MPa.
- The size of the honeycomb cells of 6mm.
For which sites?
The IMO MED fire resistance certification of NIDO ALUMINIO aluminum honeycomb panels makes them particularly suitable for sites where a severe fire resistance classification is required.
The use of 2 x 10 / 10th aluminum skins gives the NIDO ALUMINIO panel a resistance to punching and bending much greater than the massive 2 cm stone. It is therefore particularly recommended for floor construction sites, where it is necessary to be able to work in very small thickness, without risking breakage due to punching (particularly heavy furniture foot). It is then possible to make floors only 8mm thick (5mm honeycomb panel + 3mm marble).
Another use of the NIDO ALUMINIO panel: the production of large table tops (up to 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide) with a very low thickness of 15mm. Thanks to the very high flexural strength provided by the double aluminum skin, the composite “marble + panel” sandwich will remain perfectly flat.
AERO – Lightened marble on high density foam
Characteristics
With AERO, the solid stone veneer (5 mm as standard) is glued to a PVC foam panel (closed cell crosslinked polyvinyl chloride) with 2 fiberglass, aluminum or mixed skins (a fiberglass skin on the stone side and an aluminum skin on the outside of the panel).
Ultra high density PVC foam offers a very good stiffness to weight ratio, is compressive resistant, waterproof, improves resistance to shear and elongation, and is optimal as a thermal insulator.
This type of foam can be used either with polyester glue or with vinyl ester and epoxy glue. In addition, it is easy to machine. Several methods can be used: hand rolling, cutting, etc.
The addition of 2 fiberglass skins – aluminum or mixed fiberglass / aluminum – increases the shear and puncture resistance of the AERO panels.
AERO technical characteristics
| Width (mm) | 1100 (Std) |
| Length (mm) | 2400 (Std) |
| Available thicknesses (mm) | 5 – 10 – 15 – 20 – 50 (Std) |
| Dimensional tolerances (mm) | +/- 1 |
| Thicknesses tolerances (mm) | +/- 0.3 |
| Fire classification (E.U.) | RF2/75/A RF3/77 |
The advantages of the panels offered by Haute Decoration for your projects
- Haute Decoration works with PVC foam with a density of 80 Kg / m3. This foam density is perfectly suited to the various marble uses with a compressive strength of 1.44 Mpa and a flexural strength of 2.02 Mpa.
- The addition of aluminum skins to improve the already high mechanical performance of the PVC foam with fiberglass skins.
For which sites?
The AERO foam panels offered by Haute Decoration are particularly suitable for marble work sites where very high mechanical performance is not required and where low weight is required.
They can be used indoors as well as outdoors.
AERO panels are an excellent answer for the following construction sites:
- Wall cladding in a humid environment with water projection, such as shower or spa walls.
- Glued floor slab where its full core (foam) will provide a sound reproduction identical to solid marble, with a weight per m² (and therefore a load on the floor) 3 times lower.
- Furniture and fittings in marble, thanks to its ability to be easily machined in volume.
ALUPANEL – Lightened marble on aluminum composite with polymer core
Characteristics
A solid stone veneer (3 to 5mm as standard) is glued to an aluminum composite panel made up of 2 aluminum skins (5mm thick) and a non-flammable polymer core. Its density per m² in 4mm thickness is 7.6 Kg / m².
The aluminum composite panel is widely used in contemporary architecture, especially in facades, for its excellent qualities of mechanical resistance, in compression as in bending, even in very thin thickness (High Decoration standards of 4mm and 6mm). With this family of panels, we obtain a particularly thin sandwich of only 8mm (4mm of ALUPANEL panel + 3mm of natural stone + 1mm of resin) with mechanical performance suitable for non-structural applications, where its thin thickness will be an asset for your projects.
ALUPANEL technical characteristics
| Width (mm) | 965 – 1270 – 1575 (Std) |
| Length (mm) | 3000 (Std) |
| Available thicknesses (mm) | 3 – 4 – 6 (Std) |
| Dimensional tolerances (mm) | +/- 30 |
| Thicknesses tolerances (mm) | +/- 0,2 |
| Fire classification (E.U.) | F1 |
For which sites?
The ALUPANEL aluminum composite panels offered by Haute Decoration are perfectly suited to construction sites which require a very thin solid stone solution (from 7 to 10mm finished) and high mechanical performance:
- Non-structural glued wall cladding on a flat and straight wall.
- Staircase or floor covering on a flat support.
- Furniture and fittings, where its use will work wonders in coating on Mdf wood support thanks to its very thin thickness, ideal for fronts of drawers or doors.
DOPPIO – Lightweight solid marble 7mm thick with 2 visible sides
Characteristics
DOPPIO is an innovation, developed by Haute Decoration and its Italian partners, which revolutionizes the design of marble.
Until DOPPIO, designers who work with natural stone had to choose either massive stone, thick (20mm) and heavy (60 Kg / m²), or light marble solutions, with the need to dress the edges seen as well as the second face (for reversible designs).
Today, thanks to DOPPIO, Haute Decoration provides the answer: a finished sandwich only 7mm thick, made up of 2 very thin strips of solid stone, with a weight per m² of only 18 kg, and very similar mechanical characteristics. solid stone in 20mm.
The maximum dimensions are those of the stone slice.
For which sites?
The DOPPIO solution is particularly dedicated to design applications where a very thin thickness is required by the project, while ensuring 2 visible faces covered with solid stone.
DOPPIO is the best solution available on the market for:
- Make double-sided sliding partitions on rails to separate 1 room.
- Design furniture and fittings with very clean and fine lines (7mm thickness) with a very light weight of only 18 kg / m².
TAMBURATO – Solid marble smashed in the center with a polymer core
Characteristics
Lightweight marble solutions on honeycomb or foam panels must be miter cut to cover the edges in order to hide the core of the panel. For very demanding sites where the 45 ° return joint is refused, Haute Decoration and its Italian partners offer an innovative solution: the 20mm thick solid marble is smashed in the center and is replaced by a polymer. The element thus obtained has solid edges which can be machined, for example for a grip on doors or furniture drawers, with a weight less than half compared to the traditional solid solution, i.e. about 30 Kg / m².
TAMBURATO enhances the aesthetic qualities of solid stone (continuous vein, machining in the mass), and divides by 2 the weight per m² to reduce the load and the mechanical stresses exerted on the structure and the hardware systems.
For which sites?
TAMBURATO is the solution for all applications with visible edges that must be treated in solid while maintaining a weight per m² reduced by half (30 kg / m² compared to 60 kg in traditional solid stone):
- Front of door and drawers in marble.
- Staircase cover in restoration with correction of false level (machining of the polymer in whistle to make up for the false level).
- Furniture and fixtures.
CARBONIO – Program of experimental solutions for non-standard applications
h4>Characteristics
CARBONIO is a research and development program carried out by Haute Decoration with its partners to provide a solution to “impossible” specifications.
When all the processes described above prove insufficient to obtain the result desired by the architect, then Haute Decoration mobilizes advanced materials to design particularly resistant, thin and light sandwiches.
For example, a marble cladding can be treated anti-bullet with a Kevlar-based sandwich.
CARBONIO mainly uses the potential of carbon fiber which provides an unparalleled weight / resistance ratio but also seeks solutions with nanomaterials.
By definition, each project is unique and is the subject of a specific solution tested in the laboratory before implementation.
Guide for installing marble panels on honeycomb
Due to their very reduced weight and large format, laying marble panels on honeycomb on site is easy and much faster than laying massive 2 cm stone.
According to the experience of our marble clients, a minimum gain of 50% on installation time is guaranteed.
There is no need to change the solutions you usually use to lay the solid stone. But thanks to the lightness of the stone on honeycomb, several ranges of installation solutions from the aeronautical and naval industry are also possible. They provide advantages in terms of working time, site cleanliness and above all accessibility after installation.
The traditional glued installation
Glue-down installation is suitable for building work in stone on a honeycomb, exactly as for solid stone with cement glue or two-component resin glues (better resistance).
Note: For the installation of NIDO ALUMINIO and ALUPANEL solutions, for which the contact surface with the support is an aluminum skin, it is advisable to quickly apply sandpaper to scratch the skin in order to improve grip. A bonding primer can also make it easier to hold.
Installation by mechanical systems
Inserts
Stainless steel inserts, male or female, embedded in the honeycomb panel with a two-component epoxy resin. The panels are perforated according to the fixing plan to the diameter of the insert (blind hole – it is imperative to stop the drilling before reaching the skin between the panel and the stone). The hole made is filled with two-component epoxy resin before drowning the insert. After complete setting (consult the technical sheet of your resin), the inserts are used to fix several installation solutions according to the characteristics of the site.
Note: Haute Decoration and Mondo Marmo Design are equipped for fast and very precise installation of the inserts on the back of the panels according to the installation plan provided. Consult us to establish an estimate.
Stainless steel insert range for honeycomb panels from Cht Chemicals
Staples
The clips are blocked on aluminum profiles fixed to the support to be dressed by inserts.
This system is validated for laying stone on a honeycomb on the facade (CSTB technical opinion) and therefore offers very high resistance guarantees, including in seismic zones.
Advantage:
- Flexible installation system (adjustment on site) and extremely resistant.
Constraints:
- Substantial installation time and cost per m²
Staple Cht Chemicals
Metal clip system for reversible installation
Range of solutions from the world of aeronautics which allows the installation of large panels of light marble without glue, and, above all, in a removable way to be able to carry out maintenance operations (example hydraulic or electricity).
Advantage:
- Reversible, resistant (tear resistance 21.3 Kgf) and very fast installation system. Clean installation site without water or glue.
Constraints:
- Requires careful preparation work.
Security system for ceiling installation
The specific fall arrest system guarantees, thanks to a steel cable, safety and control during removal for maintenance interventions.
Need information on one of our solutions? Contact us with the following form: