The American-made aluminium honeycomb-backed lightweight stone panels sold in the UK by Stone Company UK Ltd in Newark, Nottinghamshire, have undergone one of their toughest tests yet – being subjected to an explosion by 136kg of TNT.

The TNT was placed 34m from the panels that were set up in a frame. They survived the test without even a scratch.

By passing the test, Stone Panels, who make the panels in America, have achieved a result that is twice the level of performance required by the USA General Services Administration (GSA), which sets government-wide standards required for products used by government.

Because the panels, which used to be called Stone Panels but have been renamed StoneLite, weigh so little people sometimes question their strength. That’s why the makers have subjected them to all building cladding tests in the USA, Japan, France and the UK, including tests for withstanding hurricanes and earthquakes.

For the blast test they took the panels 340miles into the freezing west Texas desert and exploded the TNT in front of them.

They would have passed the test if debris did not extend too far into the building. The panels were not expected to survive as it is accepted the walls would need rebuilding.

But after the blast it would not even have been necessary to re-point. The only evidence of the blast on the StoneLite wall was that a small area of plasterboard had become dislodged from the inside of the stud frame.

The exterior was completely unscathed after the explosion and it is a testament to the flexural strength of the panels that they could withstand such a force.

The test was recorded and is being posted on the Stone Panels website for you to see for yourself.