December 3, 2020

Modern Quarrying

Human civilisation has relied upon natural resources for a variety of purposes. One of the most basic needs of human beings have been a variety of minerals found within rock surfaces. Quarrying is the most common process utilised by humans to extract stones and minerals from naturally occurring rock surfaces. The process is extensive and there are varieties of factors to consider while choosing a quarry site.

Methods of Quarrying

Stone quarrying is a common mining activity and a lot of entrepreneurs look for the ideal site. There are multiple factors to consider for site selection, but even before that is done, what is more important is to consider what is being extracted and the method of quarrying used at the site. This consideration will help you take a wiser and more sustainable decision while selecting the right site for a particular project.

Here are some of the most common methods of quarrying:

  • Digging/Excavating
  • Heating
  • Wedging
  • Blasting
  • Sites making use of channeling machines

Before we move on to site selection, you might also want to know what actually a quarry is. A quarry is basically a kind of open-pit mine inside which a variety of stones like dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground.

bulldozer excavator in quarry

Quarrying Site Selection: The Methods and Factors

Various methods of quarrying are used to extract stones for a variety of engineering, construction, and other industrial purposes. Hilly areas are the most common and popular quarry sites as a large quantity of stones are available in such topography.

Here are some of the most important factors and methods that you need to consider for making the best quarry site selection. Let us take a look at these:

  • The site must be at a convenient location where human labour, tools, and other essential materials are available.
  • The site you choose for quarrying must have a clean water source.
  • The quality and the quantity of stones available at the site definitely make a difference.
  • A suitable transportation facility must also be available near the site, be it roads, rails or waterways.
  • The quarry site must essentially be away from construction structures like bridges and dams as the vibrations during mining activities may cause damage to such structures.
  • Proper drainage facilities are necessary at any quarry site you choose.
  • The site should preferably be an uninhabited area as there are many wastes generated during the mining process, which can lead to waste accumulation, causing severe health issues.
  • You must check out and read every piece of geological information available to you about the quarrying site you are going to choose.

Why do we need quarries?

The materials produced by quarrying are essential to our modern everyday lives. Quarries provide the materials used to construct roads and buildings and can also provide vital minerals to agriculture.

It is understandable to see a quarry as an unsightly hole in the ground, but we need our quarrying industry to supply us with essential materials for our current civilisation and economy.

The quarry and mining industries are indispensable in today’s world and LH Quarry Plant Ltd provide materials, plant, and services to make sure that the industry keeps operating.