It’s unlikely that there’s anyone working in the building
industry who hasn’t come across aggregates at some point, but if you’re new to
construction or have never worked in that field it may seem like a mysterious
material! Aggregates are the most mined minerals in the world, and used all
across the globe in building and construction projects. So, if you want to know
more about what they are, how they’re mined and their many uses, read on.
What is aggregate?
Construction aggregate, often called just ‘aggregate’,
covers a wide variety of coarse to medium grained particle materials, such as
gravel, sand, crushed stone and recycled concrete. It can be mixed with other
elements including cement, lime or bitumen to form concrete or mortar for use
in building and construction. The inclusion of aggregate increases the volume
and stability of the building material, and makes it more durable too.
Aggregate can also be made from recycled material or
manufactured; recycled aggregate is made by reprocessing materials previously
used in construction such as demolition residue or crushed tarmac. Manufactured
aggregate is sourced as an off product from various industrial processes, such
as blast or electric furnace slags or residue from china clay.
How is aggregate mined
As mentioned, aggregates are some of the most mined
materials in the world, and they're produced from natural sources extracted
from pits or quarries. Mining a quarry for aggregate begins with an extensive
survey to locate the best place for explosives engineers to create a blast.
Shot holes are drilled and then carefully controlled explosives are placed to
blast the rock with as little environmental impact as possible.
The rubble and rock is then gathered up and crushed into
smaller quantities in up to four stages, before being screened to remove fine
material and dust from the blast.
As aggregate is in such high demand, it can also be mined
from river, lake or sea beds. Satellite navigation can be used to direct
vessels to a licensed dredging area; they then drag a specialised pipe across
the sea floor and use powerful suction pumps to pull up sand and gravel.
Dredged material can then be sent to a facility where it is cleaned, sorted and
processed as required.
Where can aggregate be used
Aggregate is an essential building block that is used in a
diverse range of projects, from buildings, roads and dams, to gravel for
railways, footpath coatings and even replenishing beaches and helping to stop
erosion. Aggregates play a major role in our lives, and without them the
majority of buildings simply wouldn’t exist, from hospitals and banks to
domestic housing.
If you’re after the highest quality recycled aggregate for
your building or construction business, get in touch with Graham Churchill. Our
onsite range of crushers and screens can produce the perfect amount of
aggregate to suit your needs, and we have a range of recycled materials
available including crushed limestone, crushed tarmac, reject sand and more.
For more information, give us a call or visit our website today.
