Have you ever wondered what exactly is involved in quarrying? It is the hazardous work involved in removing rock, gravel, sand or other minerals from the ground or hillside so that the materials can be used in construction or other manufacturing. A quarry, therefore, is any site where ongoing work is happening on the surface of the earth to extract minerals. Other names for the same processes include surface mining, open pit mining or opencast mining. Safety is paramount in this dangerous occupation, which is why the use of high visibility equipment is so important. For a vehicle Buggy Whip to improve vehicle visibility, wisuk sell buggy whips
The word ‘quarrying’ is usually linked with a place where natural rock and stone is extracted in order to make building materials or dimension stone. It is believed that the word ‘quarry’ is derived from the Latin word ‘quadraria’ which was used to describe a site of surface mining. The word ‘mining’ is also associated with locations where minerals were extracted from the earth to produce coal or different metals. In the UK, the biggest quantity of minerals extracted is used in the construction industry and are known as aggregates.
Is there a difference between a quarry and a mine?
The UK defines a mine in legal definition as an underground site, whereas a quarry is defined as a working site without a roof. Around the rest of the world, the terms ‘quarry’ and ‘mine’ are used interchangeably.
What is produced at a quarry?
A quarry mainly produces gravel, sand and crushed rock for the construction industry and these materials are known as aggregates. The main minerals extracted in the UK include potash, salt and gypsum.
As well as aggregates, quarries produce significant amounts of coal, limestone, clays, china clay, kaolin, gypsum and silica sand. Quarries are mostly associated with processing plants that produce ready-mixed concrete, for example. Other processing plants include those that produce coating for asphalt and bitumen used in road markings and road laying. Quarries are also linked to plants that produce concrete blocks, cement burning kilns, pipe works, brick works, and pottery works, as well as factories that produce plasterboard.
Why are quarries important?
Quarrying work is essential to many industries in the UK. The materials that are produced through quarrying help us in our everyday lives, from building the roads that we drive on to the homes that we live in. The minerals from quarrying are also extensively used in agriculture and also to support electricity generation.
We often view quarries as ugly, unwanted holes in the ground but without the quarrying industry, we wouldn’t have the vital supplies needed to keep our economy going. Many professional and hard-working men and women spend their careers making sure UK quarries are operated in a safe, efficient and environmentally-kind way.
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