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{{Short description|A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground}}
{{distinguish-otheruses2|Query (disambiguation){{!}}Query|Quarry}}
{{Other uses|Quarry (disambiguation)}}
{{short description|A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground}}
{{Distinguish|Query (disambiguation){{!}}Query}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
[[File:Carrara-panorama_delle_cave4.jpg|thumb|[[Carrara marble|Carrara quarry]] in [[Tuscany]], [[Italy]]]]
[[File:Carrara-panorama_delle_cave4.jpg|thumb|[[Carrara marble|A quarry at Carrara]] in [[Tuscany]], Italy]]
[[File:PortlandQuarry.jpg|thumb|[[Portland stone]] quarry on the [[Isle of Portland]], England]]
[[File:PortlandQuarry.jpg|thumb|A [[Portland stone]] quarry on the [[Isle of Portland]], England]]
[[File:Stone quarry adelaide.JPG|thumb|An abandoned [[construction aggregate]] quarry near [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]]]]
[[File:Stone quarry adelaide.JPG|thumb|An abandoned [[construction aggregate]] quarry near [[Adelaide]], South Australia]]
[[File:Stone_Quarry_Kerala.JPG|thumb|right|An abandoned stone quarry in [[Kerala]], [[India]]]]
[[File:Stone_Quarry_Kerala.JPG|thumb|right|An abandoned stone quarry in [[Kerala]], India]]
[[Image:0 Carrières du Hainaut à Soignies (2).JPG|thumb|Stone quarry in [[Soignies]], [[Hainaut (province)]], Belgium]]
[[Image:0 Carrières du Hainaut à Soignies (2).JPG|thumb|Stone quarry in [[Soignies]], [[Hainaut (province)]], Belgium]]
[[File:Cava Matera Inerti.png|thumb|[[Matera]] quarry in [[Basilicata]], [[Italy]]]]
[[File:Cava Matera Inerti.png|thumb|[[Matera]] quarry in [[Basilicata]], Italy]]
[[File:Hagen, Steinbruch Donnerkuhle (3).jpg|thumb|Donnerkuhle Quarry, near Hagen, Germany]]
A '''quarry''' is a type of [[open-pit mining|open-pit mine]] in which [[dimension stone]], [[rock (geology)|rock]], [[construction aggregate]], [[riprap]], [[sand]], [[gravel]], or [[slate]] is excavated from the ground.
[[File:Prospect Quarry.jpg|thumb|[[Prospect Hill (New South Wales)|Prospect Quarry gap]] in [[Sydney]], Australia]]
A '''quarry''' is a type of [[open-pit mining|open-pit mine]] in which [[dimension stone]], [[rock (geology)|rock]], [[construction aggregate]], [[riprap]], [[sand]], [[gravel]], or [[slate]] is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safety risks and reduce their environmental impact.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-07-24|title=Law Document English View|url=https://www.ontario.ca/laws/view|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Ontario.ca|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=US EPA|first=OW|date=2014-03-10|title=Mineral Mining and Processing Effluent Guidelines|url=https://www.epa.gov/eg/mineral-mining-and-processing-effluent-guidelines|access-date=2020-06-30|website=US EPA|language=en}}</ref>


The word ''quarry'' can also include the underground quarrying for stone, such as [[Bath stone]].
The word ''quarry'' can also include the underground quarrying for stone, such as [[Bath stone]].

==History==
{{Expand section|date=October 2023}}


==Types of rock==
==Types of rock==
Line 16: Line 22:
*[[Chalk]]
*[[Chalk]]
*[[China clay]]
*[[China clay]]
*[[Cinder]]
*[[Scoria|Cinder]]
*[[Clay]]
*[[Clay]]
*[[Coal]]
*[[Coal]]
Line 33: Line 39:
*[[Sandstone]]
*[[Sandstone]]
*[[Slate]]
*[[Slate]]
*[[Travertine]]

== Stone quarry ==
[[File:Dimension Stone QuarryUSGOV.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Marmo z08.JPG|thumb]]
'''Stone quarry''' is an outdated term for mining construction rocks (limestone, marble, granite, sandstone, etc.). There are open types (called quarries, or open-pit mines) and closed types ([[Mining|mines]] and caves).

For thousands of years, only hand tools had been used in quarries. In the eighteenth century, the use of drilling and blasting operations was mastered.<ref>Raymond Perrier: Les roches ornementales. Ternay (Edition Pro Roc) 2004, {{ISBN|2-9508992-6-9}}, p. 443–447.</ref>

The term remains used to describe a method of cutting into a certain shape, such as for glass and tile, as a "quarry cut".

==Methods of quarrying==
The method of removal of stones from their natural bed by using different operations is called quarrying. Methods of quarrying include:
*a) [[Digging]] – This method is used when the quarry consists of small and soft pieces of stones.
*b) Heating – This method is used when the natural rock bed is horizontal and small in thickness.
*c) Wedging –This method is used when the hard rock consists of natural fissure. When natural fissures are absent then artificial fissures are prepared by drilling holes.
*d) [[Drilling and blasting|Blasting]] – It is the process of removal of stones with the help of controlled explosives is filled in the holes of the stones. Line of least resistance plays very important role in the blasting process.


==Methods of Quarrying==
Quarrying of stones:
The method of removal of stones from their natural bed by using different operations is called
quarrying.
Methods of Quarrying –
a) Digging – This method is used when the quarry consists of small & soft pieces of stones.
b) Heating – This method is used when the natural rock bed is horizontal * small in
thickness.
c) Wedging –This method is used when the hard rock consists of natural fissure. When
natural fissures are absent then artificial fissures are prepared by drilling holes.
d) Blasting – It is the process of removal of stones with the help of controlled explosives is
filled in the holes of the stones. Line of least resistance plays very important role in the
blasting process.
Following steps are used in the blasting process;
Following steps are used in the blasting process;
1) Drilling holes – Blast holes are drilled by using drilling machines.
*1) [[Drilling]] holes – Blast holes are drilled by using drilling machines.
2) Charging – Explosive powders are fed into the cleaned & dried blast holes.
*2) Charging – Explosive powders are fed into the cleaned & dried blast holes.
3) Tamping – The remaining portion of the blast holes are filled by clay, ash, fuse &
*3) [[Tamping]] – The remaining portion of the blast holes are filled by clay, ash, fuse and wirings.
*4) Firing –The fuses of blasting holes are fired by using electrical power supply or match sticks.
wirings.
4) Firing –The fuses of blasting holes are fired by using electrical power supply or match
sticks.


==Slabs==
==Slabs==
Line 59: Line 67:


==Problems==
==Problems==
[[File:Carrara_12.JPG|thumb|Extraction work in a marble quarry in [[Carrara]], [[Italy]]]]
[[File:Carrara_12.JPG|thumb|Extraction work in a marble quarry in [[Carrara]], Italy]]
Quarries in level areas with shallow [[groundwater]] or which are located close to surface water often have [[engineering]] problems with [[drainage]]. Generally the water is removed by pumping while the quarry is operational, but for high inflows more complex approaches may be required. For example, the [[Coquina quarry]] is excavated to more than {{Convert|60|ft}} below sea level. To reduce surface leakage, a [[moat]] lined with [[clay]] was constructed around the entire quarry. Ground water entering the pit is pumped up into the moat. As a quarry becomes deeper, water inflows generally increase and it also becomes more expensive to lift the water higher during removal; this can become the limiting factor in quarry depth. Some water-filled quarries are worked from beneath the water, by dredging.
Quarries in level areas with shallow [[groundwater]] or which are located close to surface water often have [[engineering]] problems with [[drainage]]. Generally the water is removed by pumping while the quarry is operational, but for high inflows more complex approaches may be required. For example, the [[Coquina quarry]] is excavated to more than {{Convert|60|ft}} below sea level.


To reduce surface leakage, a [[moat]] lined with [[clay]] was constructed around the entire quarry. [[Groundwater]] entering the pit is pumped up into the moat. As a quarry becomes deeper, water inflows generally increase and it also becomes more expensive to lift the water higher during removal; this can become the limiting factor in quarry depth. Some water-filled quarries are worked from beneath the water, by dredging.
Many people and municipalities consider quarries to be eyesores and require various abatement methods to address problems with noise, dust, and appearance. One of the more effective and famous examples of successful quarry restoration is [[Butchart Gardens]] in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Many people and municipalities consider quarries to be eyesores and require various abatement methods to address problems with noise, dust, and appearance. One of the more effective and famous examples of successful quarry restoration is [[Butchart Gardens]] in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/contracting-with-the-province/documents/archive-unoffical-tender-documents-90-days/12626-0002/t3-5-reclamation-and-environmental-protection-handbook-1995.pdf|title=BCMEMPR, BCMTH, and NRC. (1995). Reclamation and Environmental Protection Handbook for Sand, Gravel and Quarry Operations in British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources Ministry of Transportation and Highways Natural Resources Canada.}}</ref>


A further problem is pollution of roads from trucks leaving the quarries. To control and restrain the pollution of public roads, [[wheel washing system]]s are becoming more common.
A further problem is pollution of roads from trucks leaving the quarries. To control and restrain the pollution of public roads, [[wheel washing system]]s are becoming more common.
Line 68: Line 78:
===Quarry lakes===
===Quarry lakes===
{{main|Quarry lake}}
{{main|Quarry lake}}
Many quarries naturally fill with water after abandonment and become [[lake]]s. Others are made into [[landfill]]s.
Many quarries naturally fill with water after abandonment and become [[lake]]s. Others are made into [[landfill]]s.


Water-filled quarries can be very deep, often {{cvt|50|ft||}} or more, and surprisingly cold, so swimming in quarry lakes is generally not recommended. Unexpectedly cold water can cause a swimmer's muscles to suddenly weaken; it can also cause [[Shock (circulatory)|shock]] and even [[hypothermia]].<ref name=ACA>{{cite web|url=http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html |title=American Canoe Association explanation of cold shock |publisher=Enter.net |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref> Though quarry water is often very clear, submerged quarry stones and abandoned equipment make diving into these quarries extremely dangerous. Several people drown in quarries each year.<ref name=USDoL>{{cite web|url=http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/previousfatalstats.asp |title=US Dept. of Labor list of mine related fatalities |publisher=Msha.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref><ref name=GEO>{{cite web|url=http://geology.com/articles/abandoned-mines.shtml |title=on quarry drownings |publisher=Geology.com |date=2007-11-03 |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref> However, many inactive quarries are converted into safe swimming sites.{{citation needed|reason=examples please|date=December 2018}}
Water-filled quarries can be very deep, often {{cvt|50|ft||}} or more, and surprisingly cold, so swimming in quarry lakes is generally not recommended. Unexpectedly cold water can cause a swimmer's muscles to suddenly weaken; it can also cause [[Shock (circulatory)|shock]] and even [[hypothermia]].<ref name=ACA>{{cite web |url=http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html |title=American Canoe Association explanation of cold shock |publisher=Enter.net |access-date=2012-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616161846/http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html |archive-date=2012-06-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Though quarry water is often very clear, submerged quarry stones, abandoned equipment, dead animals and strong currents make diving into these quarries extremely dangerous. Several people drown in quarries each year.<ref name=USDoL>{{cite web |url=http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/previousfatalstats.asp |title=US Dept. of Labor list of mine related fatalities |publisher=Msha.gov |access-date=2012-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309155406/http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/previousfatalstats.asp |archive-date=2012-03-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=GEO>{{cite web|url=http://geology.com/articles/abandoned-mines.shtml |title=on quarry drownings |publisher=Geology.com |date=2007-11-03 |access-date=2012-05-14}}</ref> However, many inactive quarries are converted into safe swimming sites.<ref>{{cite web |title=Centennial Beach - History |url=http://www.centennialbeach.org/history |website=www.centennialbeach.org |access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=City of Coral Gables - Venetian Pool |url=https://www.coralgables.com/departments/CommunityRecreation/venetian-pool |website=www.coralgables.com |access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>


Such lakes, even lakes within active quarries, can provide important habitat for animals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sievers |first1=Michael |title=Sand quarry wetlands provide high-quality habitat for native amphibians |journal=Web Ecology |date=19 May 2017 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=19–27 |doi=10.5194/we-17-19-2017}}</ref>
Such lakes, even lakes within active quarries, can provide important habitat for animals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sievers |first1=Michael |title=Sand quarry wetlands provide high-quality habitat for native amphibians |journal=Web Ecology |date=19 May 2017 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=19–27 |doi=10.5194/we-17-19-2017|doi-access=free |hdl=10072/411143 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
{{Wide image|Rummu karjäär1.jpg|600px|An abandoned limestone quarry in Rummu, Estonia.}}
{{Wide image|Rummu karjäär1.jpg|600px|An abandoned limestone quarry in Rummu, Estonia}}


==See also==
==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=}}

*[[List of quarries]]
*[[List of quarries]]
*[[List of quarries in the United States]]
*[[List of quarries in the United States]]
Line 82: Line 92:
*[[Coal mining]]
*[[Coal mining]]
*[[Collecting fossils]]
*[[Collecting fossils]]
*[[Fair Stone standard]]
*[[Gravel pit]]
*[[Gravel pit]]
*[[List of minerals]]
*[[List of minerals]]
Line 91: Line 102:
*[[Quarry lake]]
*[[Quarry lake]]
*[[Quarries (biblical)]]
*[[Quarries (biblical)]]
{{div col end}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
S.K Duggal "Building Materials" (2003) 3rd revised edition
S.K Duggal "Building Materials" (2003) 3rd revised edition
[https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/quarries Quarries]


==External links==
==External links==


{{commons category|Quarries}}
{{Commons category|Quarries}}
{{wiktionarypar}}
{{wiktionarypar}}


Line 104: Line 117:
{{Stonemasonry}}
{{Stonemasonry}}
{{Human impact on the environment}}
{{Human impact on the environment}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Environmental impact of mining]]
[[Category:Environmental impact of mining]]

Revision as of 07:53, 6 May 2024

A quarry at Carrara in Tuscany, Italy
A Portland stone quarry on the Isle of Portland, England
An abandoned construction aggregate quarry near Adelaide, South Australia
An abandoned stone quarry in Kerala, India
Stone quarry in Soignies, Hainaut (province), Belgium
Matera quarry in Basilicata, Italy
Donnerkuhle Quarry, near Hagen, Germany
Prospect Quarry gap in Sydney, Australia

A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safety risks and reduce their environmental impact.[1][2]

The word quarry can also include the underground quarrying for stone, such as Bath stone.

History

Types of rock

Types of rock extracted from quarries include:

Stone quarry

Stone quarry is an outdated term for mining construction rocks (limestone, marble, granite, sandstone, etc.). There are open types (called quarries, or open-pit mines) and closed types (mines and caves).

For thousands of years, only hand tools had been used in quarries. In the eighteenth century, the use of drilling and blasting operations was mastered.[3]

The term remains used to describe a method of cutting into a certain shape, such as for glass and tile, as a "quarry cut".

Methods of quarrying

The method of removal of stones from their natural bed by using different operations is called quarrying. Methods of quarrying include:

  • a) Digging – This method is used when the quarry consists of small and soft pieces of stones.
  • b) Heating – This method is used when the natural rock bed is horizontal and small in thickness.
  • c) Wedging –This method is used when the hard rock consists of natural fissure. When natural fissures are absent then artificial fissures are prepared by drilling holes.
  • d) Blasting – It is the process of removal of stones with the help of controlled explosives is filled in the holes of the stones. Line of least resistance plays very important role in the blasting process.

Following steps are used in the blasting process;

  • 1) Drilling holes – Blast holes are drilled by using drilling machines.
  • 2) Charging – Explosive powders are fed into the cleaned & dried blast holes.
  • 3) Tamping – The remaining portion of the blast holes are filled by clay, ash, fuse and wirings.
  • 4) Firing –The fuses of blasting holes are fired by using electrical power supply or match sticks.

Slabs

Many quarry stones such as marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone are cut into larger slabs and removed from the quarry. The surfaces are polished and finished with varying degrees of sheen or luster. Polished slabs are often cut into tiles or countertops and installed in many kinds of residential and commercial properties. Natural stone quarried from the earth is often considered a luxury and tends to be a highly durable surface, thus highly desirable.

Problems

Extraction work in a marble quarry in Carrara, Italy

Quarries in level areas with shallow groundwater or which are located close to surface water often have engineering problems with drainage. Generally the water is removed by pumping while the quarry is operational, but for high inflows more complex approaches may be required. For example, the Coquina quarry is excavated to more than 60 feet (18 m) below sea level.

To reduce surface leakage, a moat lined with clay was constructed around the entire quarry. Groundwater entering the pit is pumped up into the moat. As a quarry becomes deeper, water inflows generally increase and it also becomes more expensive to lift the water higher during removal; this can become the limiting factor in quarry depth. Some water-filled quarries are worked from beneath the water, by dredging.

Many people and municipalities consider quarries to be eyesores and require various abatement methods to address problems with noise, dust, and appearance. One of the more effective and famous examples of successful quarry restoration is Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.[4]

A further problem is pollution of roads from trucks leaving the quarries. To control and restrain the pollution of public roads, wheel washing systems are becoming more common.

Quarry lakes

Many quarries naturally fill with water after abandonment and become lakes. Others are made into landfills.

Water-filled quarries can be very deep, often 50 ft (15 m) or more, and surprisingly cold, so swimming in quarry lakes is generally not recommended. Unexpectedly cold water can cause a swimmer's muscles to suddenly weaken; it can also cause shock and even hypothermia.[5] Though quarry water is often very clear, submerged quarry stones, abandoned equipment, dead animals and strong currents make diving into these quarries extremely dangerous. Several people drown in quarries each year.[6][7] However, many inactive quarries are converted into safe swimming sites.[8][9]

Such lakes, even lakes within active quarries, can provide important habitat for animals.[10]

An abandoned limestone quarry in Rummu, Estonia

See also

References

  1. ^ "Law Document English View". Ontario.ca. 2014-07-24. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  2. ^ US EPA, OW (2014-03-10). "Mineral Mining and Processing Effluent Guidelines". US EPA. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  3. ^ Raymond Perrier: Les roches ornementales. Ternay (Edition Pro Roc) 2004, ISBN 2-9508992-6-9, p. 443–447.
  4. ^ "BCMEMPR, BCMTH, and NRC. (1995). Reclamation and Environmental Protection Handbook for Sand, Gravel and Quarry Operations in British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources Ministry of Transportation and Highways Natural Resources Canada" (PDF).
  5. ^ "American Canoe Association explanation of cold shock". Enter.net. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  6. ^ "US Dept. of Labor list of mine related fatalities". Msha.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  7. ^ "on quarry drownings". Geology.com. 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  8. ^ "Centennial Beach - History". www.centennialbeach.org. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  9. ^ "City of Coral Gables - Venetian Pool". www.coralgables.com. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. ^ Sievers, Michael (19 May 2017). "Sand quarry wetlands provide high-quality habitat for native amphibians". Web Ecology. 17 (1): 19–27. doi:10.5194/we-17-19-2017. hdl:10072/411143.

S.K Duggal "Building Materials" (2003) 3rd revised edition Quarries