Why Natural Stone Is the Smartest Choice for Paving Projects

In paving projects, choosing the right material makes all the difference. Whether it's a vibrant city, a charming village square, or a redesigned park — the paving gives the place its character. It helps define the soul of the city. Residents want to feel proud of their surroundings, and public spaces should be places where people come together and truly live. With the right choice — such as natural stone — every location becomes a place with both impact and a future.

Natural stone is often perceived as an expensive material, but that perception doesn’t take the full picture into account. Thanks to its exceptionally long lifespan — often lasting decades or even centuries — the long-term costs of natural stone are significantly lower than those of concrete, which tends to wear down, discolor, or require replacement much sooner.

Another key benefit is that the price of natural stone is less subject to fluctuations, since far less energy is required for its extraction and processing. This results in greater price stability and makes natural stone a smart and stable economic choice — especially in times of energy crises or rising production costs.

One of the most significant advantages of natural stone over concrete is its dramatically lower carbon footprint in the production phase. The cement industry alone is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions, with the production of one ton of cement releasing around 900 kg of CO₂ into the atmosphere. This high environmental cost is due to both the energy-intensive heating process of limestone, clay, and other minerals required to manufacture cement, with more than half of the emissions coming from the chemical reactions during the production process.

In contrast, low energy is needed for the production of natural stone, and domestic extraction and processing involve significantly lower energy use. The Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Norwegian Larvik Granite, a Brachot Family Member, illustrate the difference. The Global Warming Potential total (GWPtotal) for the production of blocs varies between 30 kg CO₂ eq (Blue Antique) and 70 kg CO₂ eq (Blue Pearl) both measured for stages A1-A3 (ex-quarry, covering only the extraction phase without transport) for 1 ton of natural stone. This means that natural stone has up to 30 times lower emissions in the extraction phase alone compared to cement production.

Natural stone is a material of heritage and authenticity, offering unique aesthetic and mechanical properties that vary from quarry to quarry. Unlike mass-produced concrete, each type of natural stone has its own distinctive composition, colour, texture, and strength, making every city or town unique!

Looking at the user stage, natural stone proves its added value once again: it is highly durable, weather-resistant and requires minimal maintenance compared to concrete. While concrete surfaces can suffer from staining, discoloration, and degradation over time, natural stone retains its aesthetics and structural quality with little intervention. Concrete often requires chemical treatments and energy-intensive cleaning, which further increases its environmental impact.

In contrast, natural stone requires significantly less upkeep, maintaining its beauty and functionality without intensive maintenance routines. This not only saves costs, but also reduces the impact on the environment.

Natural stone combines long-term cost efficiency with low environmental impact, minimal maintenance and lasting beauty. It supports circular construction principles and delivers outstanding performance for both public and private environments. For those planning future-proof paving projects, natural stone is the obvious, sustainable choice.