Emeralds are gem-quality specimens of the beryl mineral family with a rich, distinctly green color. They are found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in a small number of locations worldwide. For over 5000 years, emeralds have been one of the most desirable and valuable colored gemstones.
For example, the Agway Elevator was built on a concrete mat 3 feet thick which in turn rests on a natural foundation of stiff clay. But whatever the foundation for the elevator was, be it wood pilings or concrete slabs, construction of the elevator itself could begin once the base was completed.
In many domestic and industrial buildings a thick concrete slab, supported on foundations or directly on the subsoil, is used to construct the ground floor of a building.