About UKCSA

The inaugural meeting of the United Kingdom Cast Stone Association (UKCSA) was held on 20th February 1991, following discussions during late 1990 between the leading manufacturers of cast stone at the time. UKCSA was formed as an independent trade association to increase specifiers’ and contractors’ awareness and confidence in cast stone and to establish and maintain the highest standards of product quality and usage.

In 2012 the Cast Stone Association celebrates 21 years as the guardian of quality for cast stone, and has grown to become the first point of reference for all matters regarding cast stone. UKCSA is an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible trade association.

The Association represents the leading UK manufacturers of cast stone, and associated trades . All manufacturing members must comply with the criteria established by the Association as a condition of membership.

UKCSA Standards & Technical Literature

UKCSA’s Standards and technical literature were launched in 1993 and are now in general use amongst architects and contractors when specifying and using cast stone. In the summer of 2000 the full UKCSA package of technical information, standards and specifications were updated into the UKCSA‘Technical Manual for cast stone’. The latest upgraded and extended version of the UKCSA ‘Technical Manual for cast stone’ has been available since March 2011.

Technical Liaison

The UKCSA was represented on the British Standards Institution committee that updated the British Standard for Cast Stone, BS 1217, in both 1997 and the current version BS 1217:2008. The Association also assisted National Building Specification in producing technical clauses F22 and H52 which are now also in general use throughout the industry.

Research & Development

The UKCSA is committed to investing in independent research to constantly improve knowledge of cast stone and its performance and works with suppliers to ensure that a consistently high quality of material can be provided to the market. This commitment lead to the Cast Stone Association commissioning a two year research project, to be carried out in conjunction with the Concrete Technology Unit of the University of Dundee, to investigate the performance of cast stone. Many of the findings have been included in the UKCSA Standard, and the University confirmed that cast stone weathered in a similar way to natural stone when both were exposed to identical atmospheric conditions.

Web Site

The UKCSA maintains this web site which allows instant access to technical information by all sectors of the market. It is regularly updated and features recent projects showing the versatility and durability of cast stone. In addition the Association has its own Blogger, Twitter and Facebook pages, which we encourage you to follow to be immediately informed of any developments in the cast stone industry.

The UKCSA Standard

The UKCSA Standard is a high performance standard supported by rigorous testing and quality control. It's the benchmark for cast stone quality and ensures the strongest cast stone available. All manufacturing members must demonstrate their continuing adherence to the UKCSA Standard as a condition of membership. This requirement includes the regular submission of cast stone test results to the Association and an annual declaration of conformance.

Choosing the Right Supplier

Most cast stone manufacturers operate without adequate quality assurance or testing regimes and may not be working to the proper standards. For your peace of mind, specify cast stone from an UKCSA Member to guarantee you’re getting the best.

All data on this website is for information only and is to the best of our knowledge current and correct. UKCSA presents this information without guarantee and cannot be held liable for any consequential claims. UKCSA members will be able to advise you in more detail on all aspects of cast stone specific to their products and supply.