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1 Special care is needed in handling and storing stone">stone slabs to prevent bowing, cracking, chipping, and staining. Supports shall be designed to avoid over-stressing or cracking of stone">stone panels during storage and transportation. Stress concentration due to improper handling may interconnect micro or macro fractures of geological origin which may be present in the stone">stone slabs. Moisture and thermal cycles may cause later distress and failure of such panels on the building facade.

stone">stone slabs should be properly palletized or crated on edge for safe transportation and for economic unloading and distribution. Non-containerized crates should be marked "fragile" and packed and handled with increased care due to the higher breakage hazard.

Pallets, crates, or pre-assembled panelized stone">stones on trucks or in containers shall be carefully secured to prevent them from shifting. Pre-assembled panels for storing and shipping shall be designed so that the frame supports the stone">stone and no load is transmitted through the connections to the stone">stone slabs.

Unless stone">stone slabs or pre-assembled panels are erected directly from the truck or trailer, ample room will be needed at the job site to distribute them reasonably close to where they will be installed. They should be distributed so their identification numbers are visible. Double handling, moving stone">stone at the jobsite, will greatly increase the possibility of breakage or chipping.

Unloading of trucks or containers at the job site should also be done carefully. If a "cherry picker" or a mobile crane is used for unloading, a permit is usually required. Forklifts or monorails are also often used to unload trucks or container shipments.

The method of storing stone">stone on structural floors should also be carefully planned. Unpolished slabs, in particular, should be protected from staining. The storage areas should be adequate, accessible, and the moving of materials of other trades should be limited. Pre-loading floors should be in accordance with requirements set forth by the engineer of record.

When stone">stone slabs are stacked, they should be separated with two non-staining skids placed approximately one-quarter of the way from each end of the slab. Skids should be placed directly above one another to prevent cracking or breakage.