Lightweight, rigid and durable composite solutions to reduce the weight of marble, granite and sandstone for facades, flooring and furniture
In the natural stone trade, stonemasons, fabricators and architects look for ways to lighten their projects without compromising the appearance or the mechanical strength of solid stone.
Nidaplast® honeycomb-core composite panels are particularly well suited to designing marble, granite or sandstone elements that are lightweight, rigid and durable, for both indoor and outdoor use.
Thanks to their polypropylene honeycomb structure, Nidaplast® products offer an ideal combination:
- Exceptional lightness: at least 3 times lighter than a solid stone slab 20 to 30 mm thick, for a 6 mm stone skin bonded to the honeycomb core
- High mechanical strength: a panel combining a 28 mm core and a 5 mm marble skin withstands forces and deformation up to 50 times greater than a solid 20 mm slab
- Easier processing: cut with standard tools, thermoformable polypropylene for curved parts, bonding of the panel’s different layers
- Genuine acoustic performance: absorption coefficient reaching up to 0.7 at 4000 Hz, useful for floors and partitions
- Reduced carbon footprint: the sandwich panel technique allows a 20 mm stone slab to be cut into two 5 mm slices, doubling the material yield extracted from a quarry
- 100% recyclable core, made of extruded polypropylene
Typical Applications
Facades and exterior cladding
- Decorative lightweight marble, granite or sandstone panels
- Large-format cladding, easy to handle on site, for new builds and renovation
Floors and technical flooring
- Acoustic and rot-resistant underlayment beneath natural stone flooring
- Leveling support for natural stone floors
Stairs and treads
- Lightweight stair treads and risers, for projects where weight or structural load is a constraint
Furniture and worktops
- Worktops
- Splashbacks
- Bespoke furniture combining the look of natural stone with controlled weight
Products used
Nidaplast 8
Nidaplast 8 is the standard product in the range. It is suitable for hand lay-up or spray-up lamination processes.
View product sheet
Nidapan
Nidapan is a reinforced honeycomb designed to serve as a rigid core for bonded sandwich panels or for ready-to-use rigid or lightweight panels.
View product sheetMechanical Performance
In a natural stone / honeycomb sandwich panel, the stone skin works in compression only and does not break: tensile forces are carried by the bottom skin, bonded to the Nidaplast® core. This load distribution allows a much lighter assembly to match, or even exceed, the strength of a far thicker solid stone slab.
FAQ
How much weight does a natural stone sandwich panel save compared to solid stone?
Compared with a solid stone slab 20 to 30 mm thick, a panel combining a 6 mm natural stone skin with a Nidaplast® core is at least 3 times lighter, while offering better mechanical strength.
Doesn't thinning marble make it more fragile?
On its own, yes — a thin slice of natural stone becomes more flexible but also more fragile. Bonded to a Nidaplast® honeycomb core, it regains stable mechanical behaviour: the stone skin works in compression, while the core and bottom skin carry the tensile and shear forces.
Is the honeycomb core used for natural stone recyclable?
Yes. The extruded polypropylene core is fully recyclable, adding to the extended quarry lifespan made possible by the sandwich technique: a 20 mm slab can be cut into two 5 mm slices to produce two panels instead of one.
In brief
Nidaplast Composites manufactures extruded polypropylene honeycomb cores used as the core of natural stone (marble, granite, sandstone) sandwich panels. A panel combining a 28 mm Nidaplast® core with a 5 mm marble skin withstands forces and deformation up to 50 times greater than a solid 20 mm stone slab, for an assembly at least 3 times lighter. The products used are Nidaplast 8 (5 to 100 mm thick, acoustic underlayment and leveling support) and Nidapan 8GR600 (10 to 20 mm thick, reinforcement and weight reduction for stone cladding or furniture). The honeycomb core is recyclable and doubles a quarry’s material yield by cutting a 20 mm slab into two 5 mm slices. Applications: facades, floors and technical flooring, stairs, worktops, high-end furniture. Manufacturer: Nidaplast, France — 1524 Rue de la Paix, 59970 Fresnes-sur-Escaut.
