Features

Modern surveying techniques mean that quarry operators can collect more usable information in less time than ever before. Surveying a quarry used to mean calling in a specialist company several times a year to trek round on foot with a tripod and manually collecting data before taking it back to the office to process. Today it is possible for a quarry manager to collect a greater level of information on an almost daily basis in a format that can be more easily used than ever before.

Overburden can be useful when it comes to landscaping areas around the quarry but what can be done when supply outweighs that demand. Very few quarries are fortunate enough to have no overburden to strip to access aggregate reserve and most have to factor in the cost of stripping and storing material. But the cost of this process can be more than financial - some quarries have an excess of 'waste' material stockpiled that is blocking access to prime aggregates. Many quarries utilise overburden for environme

The search for alternative power sources for construction equipment is nothing new. Mike Woof takes a look at Euclid's attempt at using gas turbines. The off-highway equipment sector has seen many interesting and innovative machines over the years, with some seeing meteoric rises in sales and others sinking into obscurity without trace. One of the oddest heavy haulers of all time had to be Euclid's R210 truck, and it certainly falls into the latter category.

A recent Supreme Court case in the UK about mineral trespass raises some interesting issues for the aggregates industry. Mark Richardson reports. July this year saw the resolution in the UK Supreme Court of a case involving a landowner, Bocardo, and an oil company, Star Energy, which sets new precedents with regards to mineral ownership and compensation.

With the need to recycle high on the agenda, finding effective techniques to reuse concrete demolition waste has never been more important. Concrete is the second most consumed material after water, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and not without good reason. The council underlines concrete's properties that make it a long-lasting, energy efficient building material but has said that through regeneration, strategies for reuse are needed.

Rock drilling tool specialist Rockmore International has announced plans to develop a new manufacturing facility in Europe. The US-based company plans to build a 7,500m2 new plant at a new industrial park in Judenburg, Austria to serve the European market, as well as the emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East. "Despite the current economic climate, we felt this expansion in our production capability was vital," said Rockmore executive vice president Pejman Eghdami. "This new facility demonstrates our

The sixth meeting of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels in October is aiming to bring together health and safety specialists and best practice from around the world. Health & Safety is a top priority for the European Aggregates Association (UEPG) which is why the organisation is playing a key role in an upcoming global safety conference. On 20 and 21 October this year Brussels will be hosting the sixth Atlantic Alliance meeting and bring together top extractive industry health and safety specialists from aro

The weight of material loaded into haul trucks has a direct impact on not just production but also on performance of equipment. Under load a truck and production does not reach its full potential, but overload it and you risk excessive wear and increase the risk of accidents.

The latest on-board weighing systems are providing quarry operators with more than just loading information. Claire Symes reports. At one time weighing in quarries was limited to weighbridge operations in the loadout area but now a wide variety of dynamic and static weighing systems are available. These make it possible to carry out weighing at almost any stage of the production process and integration of this into management systems is adding real value for quarry operators.

While Hurricane Katrina may be long gone, the repairs to flood defences around New Orleans in the US goes on and a mobile Hercules trammel screen is helping to meet the demand for aggregates for the work. A Stelex Construction Equipment manufactured HT182M is working in a quarry in Little Rock, Arkansas to process up to 500tonnes per hour for the work.