Table of Contents
What Is Quarrying Of Stones?
Quarrying of stones refers to the process of removing suitable stones from their original rock strata.
The exposed surface of natural rocks is referred to as a quarry. It’s important to understand the distinction between a mine and a quarry. In the case of a mine, the work is done at a large depth underground. When working in a quarry, the operations are done in an open environment at ground level.
Site Selection Criteria
The quality of the stones is the first consideration while choosing a site. The project should begin with good-quality stone. It ought to be far from urban areas. Water is typically provided at the location by local authorities. Since the vibrations from blasting may destroy permanent structures like bridges and dams, the site should be far from them.
To export the stone, first-rate transportation facilities must be provided. For this firm to be viable, reliable transportation is crucial.
Site Investigation
It is important to thoroughly inspect the rock surface for fissures and cracks. These could lead to planes in the stones that could eventually lead to splitting. Quarrying will then be simple, rapid, and affordable. A layout containing the various phases of the quarrying operation should be designed.
It is important to test the equipment to ensure that it is simple and quick to use. Soft soil on the site’s top surface should be removed and disposed. Stone removal must be done carefully to avoid the possibility of landslides or slips, which could seriously harm the lives of laborers.
Methods
There are 3 methods of stone quarrying.
- Blasting
- Machine Quarrying
- Hand Tools
We will learn these 3 methods of stone quarrying.
1. Blasting
Blasting is the process in which stones are separated from parent rock using explosives. This method is used when working with firm rock or stone that doesn’t have any fissures or cracks.
After drilling the holes in the rock, explosives are placed there and the holes are then safely blasted. The stones that are produced using this method are not bigger in size.
Primary goal of blasting is to produce small stones for usage as ballast for railway projects and concrete aggregates for construction projects.
2. Stone Quarrying By Machine
A special type of quarrying machine is used for stone quarrying. Various types of stones as marble and granite are produced by machine quarrying. This type of machine is operated by electric motors.
With the aid of this device, a groove is created around the rock, and underneath the block, horizontal holes are drilled. The block is thereby separated from its bed.
Machine quarrying process is highly efficient. It can produce huge quantity of stones in minimal time. In the modern construction, this method is highly adopted.
3. Stone Quarrying By Hand Tools
This is the manual technique of stone quarrying. Various methods such as wedging, digging and heating are adopted to separate the stones from the rocks.
In hand digging shovel and other hand tools are used to collect the stone from the rocks.
In heating method, rocks are heated for several hours. After burning, rock is separated from the stones.
When the rock has cracks, the wedging method is used. Steel wedges are inserted into the cracks and hammered. The rock portion then separates from the parent rock. If natural cracks exist, artificial holes are drilled in the rock and wedging is performed.
FAQ
What Is Stone Quarrying?
Stone quarrying is the process of extracting stones from the rocks and use them for construction work.