Features

Crushing operations in quarries have gradually become more mechanised and ABE takes a look at the development of crushing technology. Crushing and screening in quarries used to rely on manpower to reduce and sort aggregates but introduction of steam-powered, and then diesel-driven, equipment has helped change that. The evolution has not only improved safety but has also significantly improved productivity, efficiency and quality.

Advances in gearbox technology delivered synchromesh and more speeds to improve operation of construction equipment on site. In the early days of mechanisation of quarries there were no specially designed off-highway machines to cope with the terrain and heavy loads. Instead there were on-highway trucks that were pressed into service to move material around site.

France-based Clamens was one of the first companies to recycle concrete from demolition projects. ABE takes a look at this revolutionary company. The need to recycle construction waste is almost a given these days but in the 1980s it was very much a new idea. So new in fact that Francebased Clamens was one of the first companies to undertake such work when it moved into the sector in 1987

Selecting the right type of conveyor belt to handle abrasive and aggressive materials is key to achieving cost effective hauling, according to Dunlop conveyor belting's Les Williams. Conveyors can offer a highly effective method of on-site transportation but their durability and reliability can be critical factors in both productivity and cost management. The conveyor belt itself is often the most vulnerable component because it has to handle material that is hard, sharp and often abrasive too.

Limited access to water resources and demand for higher quality aggregates is driving demand for washing equipment in quarries. Claire Symes reports. Quality is the key to gaining the top price for aggregates in today's competitive market and washing of materials offers the opportunity to make the most of the available reserves. Space to place washing plant on site and availability of water for processing is no longer an obstacle to adding washing facilities thanks to new technology.

New on-board weighing system brings improved accuracy and cycle times to load-out operations at Eysey Manor Quarry. A quarry's load-out operation is its main interface with customers on a day-to-day basis. Gains in efficiency here are not only important to site profitability but also to frontline customer service.

While Winter may seem long gone, it is still something that equipment specifiers have to keep in mind as recent deployment of a dual-fuel kleemann crusher to the tapojärvi gold mine in Finland illustrates. Winter is always cold in Finland but the most recent season was extreme with temperatures of -36.5°C becoming a common occurrence.

Securing Resources to meet future demand is a key part of Fassa Bortolo's investment in a new quarry in the Brescia region of Italy but it is environmental issues that have guided the design. Claire Symes reports. As you enter the main gates of most quarries, it is clear from the hive of hauling, crushing and screening activity that you are in an active aggregates operation. But this is not the case in one of Italy's newest quarries where the production is carried out deep underground, some 85m below the qu

Overburden stripping is part of any quarry operation but on some sites this work turns up some interesting artefacts that significantly add to historical knowledge. Often the potential to find archaeological artefacts on a site is known well before any topsoil is stripped from a quarry but sometimes what is unearthed is far more important than anyone could guess. The sheer size of quarries means that the overburden management has the potential to provide a huge window onto previous use of the landscape and

Renewable energy has become an attractive option for extractive industries wanting to offset increasing energy costs. UK renewables lawyer Sonya Bedford explains. There is increasing evidence that extractive industries are turning to renewable energy to offset their own energy consumption and use landbanks for the development of renewable energy capacity and income generation.