How natural stone is packed for export

Stone is dense, heavy and brittle at the edges. Most transit damage comes from three causes: movement inside the load, impact during handling, and moisture or contamination. Export packing is designed against all three. This guide describes typical practice for natural stone. Exact packing is confirmed for each order and depends on the product, the route and the destination.

What transit does to stone

Movement. Vibration and braking move anything that is not fixed. Pieces that can shift will chip, scratch and abrade one another.

Handling. Every lift is a risk. Forklift tines, slings and clamps put point loads on edges and corners, and thin pieces can crack when they are lifted from the wrong place.

Moisture and contamination. Sea freight brings humidity and condensation. Wet timber can leave stains on light stone, and dirt and dust settle on faces. Protective film, paper and separators address this.

Packing by product

Blocks

Blocks are normally shipped without crating. They are placed on timber bearers or pallets that spread the weight, and they are blocked and braced so that they cannot move. The weight per block decides the lifting equipment and the container or truck. Edges that are likely to chip are protected where needed.

Slabs

Slabs travel in bundles. Slabs from the same block are kept together and in sequence, so that the pattern continues across them. They are separated with film, paper or foam so that faces do not touch. The bundle is secured to an A-frame or packed in a crate. Bundles are usually carried standing on edge and braced against the container walls.

Tiles and strips

Tiles are packed in cartons or crates, face to face with paper or foam between, and set on pallets. Palletised units are strapped, wrapped and fitted with corner protection. A pallet should carry no more than its stack limit. Strips are long and narrow, so they need support along their length.

Pavers

Pavers are usually palletised and strapped, or packed in crates. Their size and weight limit the number per pallet, so the pallet weight is a planning figure for the unloading equipment.

Steps and long elements

Long, thin pieces such as treads, sills and mouldings are the most easily broken. They are wrapped individually, crated with internal bracing, and supported along their full length. They are not stacked directly on one another.

Architectural and carved elements

Capitals, carved panels, balusters and columns are crated individually, with the spaces around them filled so that nothing moves. Each crate is marked with the piece mark from the drawing. Fragile details are protected, and heavy pieces are placed low and centrally.

Timber and ISPM-15

The timber in crates, pallets, bearers and bracing counts as wood packaging material. The international standard ISPM 15 regulates wood packaging material in international trade. Solid wood packaging must be treated, by heat or by fumigation, debarked and marked. The mark shows the IPPC symbol, a country code, a producer number and a treatment code, such as HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide. Many importing countries require treated timber, and untreated timber can delay or stop a shipment. Manufactured wood panels such as plywood fall outside the standard.

PetroStone uses ISPM-15 treated timber for export packing where required. Tell us if your country requires it, or if you want it whatever the rule.

Loading a container or truck

Stone is dense, so containers and trucks usually reach their weight limit before they are full. Check the payload and the floor loading, and spread the weight evenly along the length of the load. Heavy pieces go on bearers that spread the load.

Secure the load so that nothing can move. Block and brace bundles against the walls with timber, fill the gaps and lash where needed. Slabs usually stand on edge, tiles lie flat on pallets and blocks lie flat on bearers. Industry guidance such as the CTU Code covers the securing of cargo in transport units, and carriers apply their own rules as well.

Oversized pieces, or loads that exceed what a container allows, may need a different truck or different equipment. Raise this at the enquiry stage, not at loading.

Mixed loads and phased deliveries

Mixed loads need a stowage plan. Heavy blocks and bundles go low and centred. Crates with fragile pieces go where they cannot be crushed or struck. Every unit is blocked in its own position.

Phased deliveries need a numbering system. Number units consistently across shipments, and keep the packing lists in the same format, so that every delivery can be matched to the schedule on site. State in the RFQ if your project is phased, because it affects how material is selected, grouped and packed.

Marking and documents

Every bundle, crate and pallet is marked. A good mark shows the consignee, the destination, a unit number, the product code, the quantity and the gross weight, plus handling marks such as fragile and this way up. For custom work, the piece mark from the drawing should appear on the unit.

The packing list links the marks to the contents: unit number, product, dimensions, quantity in m², lm or pieces, and net and gross weight. Photographs taken at loading help if a claim is ever needed.

Confirm early which shipping and customs documents your country requires, and who insures the cargo. Insurance follows from the delivery terms you agree.

On arrival

Check the units before you sign. Note visible damage on the delivery documents and photograph it. Unload with equipment rated for the weight, lifting by the frame, crate or pallet and never by the stone. Store slabs on A-frames on level ground, keep timber off wet ground, and cover the stack. Keep bundles in sequence so that pattern continuity is preserved when you install.

What to tell us

Packing is part of the specification. In your RFQ, state whether you want crates or pallets and whether ISPM-15 treated timber is required. Say how units should be marked, whether you want photographs at loading, and the maximum piece weight your site can lift. The guide to preparing a stone RFQ lists the other items, and the export page describes the process. Send your requirements through the RFQ form.