Efficient use of natural stone in the Leningrad region and South-East Finland (SE424)
Funded by South-East Finland - Russia ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

The project aimed to promote the industrial development of natural stone and cross-border cooperation across the Finnish−Russian border. A more specific aim was to achieve more efficient usage of natural stone in the urban environments in the area covered by the project and to facilitate trade in the natural stone business across the Finnish−Russian border.

Main activities

- Reporting the use of natural stone in construction in larger cities from the 18th century until today including St Petersburg, Vyborg, Helsinki, Kuopio and Kotka. - To evaluate markets for natural stone in environmental building in chosen cities, as well as define new environmental building product using natural stone, especially left-over stone. - To get detailed data about long term durability of stone structures in the cities that are along the Baltic Sea shoreline (St. Petersburg, Helsinki). - To compile existing information about the natural stone quarries and new potential natural stone deposits in the project area. - To compare the Finnish and Russian natural stone exploration methods and test them in selected new stone occurrences. - The general aim is to lower the trade barriers between EU and Russia concerning natural stone and to facilitate easier trade. - The dissemination of results is an important part of this project.

Achievements

The project activities carried out for example following results: the bases for three theses, the publication of four books and the printing of ten town guides on stone buildings in support of cultural affairs. Eight reports were written and 12 seminars for the distribution of information were organised. In addition to project participants, the outputs were for school and university student use as well as to be utilized in new forms of natural stone construction in Finland. More information of the results available at http://projects.gtk.fi/ENPI