Rakes and watering cans to take from a holder after inserting a 2- or 5-zloty coin – the idea that inspired TEMPUS POLSKA company is common at German cemeteries.

Stone house is on the final list of ten projects which are competing in the prestigious World Architecture Festival 2013 (“Villa” category) for the best building in the world in 2013. The winners will be known in October.

Under the coordination of the Italian company Ripamonti, a consortium of 9 partners from 5 European countries comprising:

·    Three research and development partners (SP, CBI and D’Appolonia);

·    Four Small to Medium enterprise (Emstone, Abra, Emmaboda Granite, Laskaridis)

·    1 association (Euroroc)
is working towards the development of a technological solution that responds to major needs of sustainability, efficiency and environmental issues from the quarry industry.

To accomplish with these needs, Hydrasplit aims developing an environmentally friendly and cost effective modular hydraulic rock splitter system for efficiently breaking large rocks in European and International quarries.

Hydrasplit will advance with respect to the actual configuration of rock splitters, by developing a modular system that allows connecting multiple splitters to exploit to the maximum extent the use of pressurized waters into high-hydraulic pressure hoses. This will increase the splitting force acting on the surrounding rocks and will enlarge the splitting area therefore resulting in a more efficient and effective way of splitting large rock blocks that is currently not available in quarries. Moreover, Hydrasplit, thanks to its modularity will meet the needs of quarries for splitting various heights or lengths of rocks.

Hydrasplit solution is based on three patents owned by the consortium partner Emstone.

Given this background new features will be implemented to make the splitting system even more efficient and effective and to ensure higher quality in the cutting of rock blocks thus reducing the amount of waste materials in splitting works.

This will allow Hydrasplit competing against traditional equipments and technologies used in quarries, being a promising alternative solution to them.

Target end-users of the Hydrasplit system are companies involved in quarry activities (quarry owners, machineries manufacturers, etc.) and in construction work (construction companies, machineries manufacturers, etc)

In detail Hydrasplit will be feasible for the following applications in the these two main markets:

1. Quarry Industry: primary and secondary cutting of large rock blocks.

2. Construction: excavation, trenching, tunnelling and demolition in sensitive areas (urban areas, tunnels etc) replacing the use of blasting technologies.

Hydrasplit key features:

·    Modular - connection among multiple splitters

·    Increase the quality of extracted block

·    Extend the lifetime compared to traditional hydraulic equipments

·    Very quick installation, and splitting

·    Easy to be integrated with conventional machineries

·    Safe, easy to handled and effortless for the workers

·    Environmental friendly - low noises, no damage on surrounding areas, minimum waste production

More information on the Hydrasplit project, its objectives and expected results can be found at www.hydrasplit.eu

We are pleased to announce that Świat Kamienia has already received first applications which are going to compete for the main prize in the prestigious Kamień 2013competition. Only the objects which were built with a significant use of natural stone may compete for the “Kariatyda” (Caryatid) statuette.

The fair is going to take place from 15 to 18 May this year at the Centre Fiera del Levante, which is situated in Bari. The main theme of this branch event will be the expansion of the European stone industry into the markets of the Balkans and the Near East. The fair will be held in a very modern hall Fiera del Levante, which was opened in 2012.