Kaarma limestone
Kaarma limestone is quarried in Saaremaa. It is a porous greenish-grey clayish dolomite, which formed during the Silurian period (408-439 mln years ago).
Kaarma stone has been used over 700 years, the oldest remaining and dated object is Kaarma church, the building of which was started in 1260. Kaarma dolomite has become more popular ever since. During the following centuries it has been used for sculptures, tombstones and buildings all over Saaremaa and from the beginning of the 14. century on the mainland too. Kaarma stone reached Tallinn in the 17th century.
During the second half of the 20th century, in 1958, the mass production and processing of Kaarma dolomite began. Till the beginning of the 1990's Kaarma stone was together with Selgase and Tagavere dolomites the only available limestones in Estonia. At that time, thick tiles of Kaarma dolomite were transported also to Russia and Latvia.
The physical-mechanical properties of Kaarma limestone are following:
- Volume weight - 2220 kg/m3 (EN 1936)
- Water absorption by volume - 8,9 % (EN 13755)
- Porosity - 21,9 % (EN 1936)
- Frost resistance - 48 cycles (EN 12371)
- Flexible strength - 8,3 MPa (EN 12372)
- Wear resistance - 19,5 mm (EN 14157)
Nowadays Kaarma limestone is used in the production of facade and floor tiles, and for different building details - dripstones, balustrades, fireplaces, covering tiles, tombstones etc.
Kaarma limestone can be seen on the following objects:
- Kaarma church in Saaremaa,
- Niguliste church in Tallinn,
- Kino Sõprus in Tallinn,
- the buildings of Tallinn University in Narva street,
- numerous memorials of the Estonian War of Independence all over Estonia,
- the Estonian Music Academy in Tallinn,
- facade of the shopping centre Kristiine in Tallinn,
- KUMU,
- private houses in Kakumäe, Viimsi, Veskimöldre and elsewhere.