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Staggering growth in the Spanish aggregates industry has curtailed recently due to the housing market fall-off. Adrian Greeman reports Spain has seen a booming market for the aggregate industry in the last fifteen years, witnessing an astonishing rise in production. Demand for quarried materials more than doubled between 1992 and the end of 2006. According to figures from the National Association of Spanish Aggregates producers (ANEFA), the market grew 110% during those years and the rise continued with ano

A new quarry in Thailand is setting higher aggregates industry standards in the country for efficiency and quality. Mike Woof reports Thailand's fast growing economy means that there is a construction boom underway bringing with it increased demand for aggregates for use in construction of all types. To help meet this demand operators are looking for new extraction sites and also working to improve efficiency at existing quarries. One the newest quarries to be opened in Thailand is Thai Crushing Plant's (TC

News of the latest impact of the current global financial instability seems to be a daily occurrence these days, with the effects hitting both work and home. There is much talk in the quarrying industry about the knock-on effect and whether it will be a short or long term issue or if it really is an issue at all. The question of the actual impact on individual companies seems likely to depend on the geographical spread of the business. While buoyancy in the Eastern European and Russian markets is helping to

Interstar has introduced a new technique for creating coloured concrete Concrete is no longer a low budget construction material that is hidden behind cladding but has become popular with architects for its aesthetics. The rising demand for exposed concrete has driven development of fair faced concrete and also coloured concrete. Canada-based concrete additive specialist Interstar has unveiled a new pigment mixing system for the ready mixed concrete market, which the company claims is the first of its kind.

During my visits to quarries and construction equipment manufacturers over the last 12 months, one subject comes up again and again - the cost of fuel. Over the last month, there rarely seems to have been a day when the topic has not been headline news. The price of oil has reached an all time high and market analysts are predicting that it could rise even higher, reaching US$150 a barrel by July. Across Europe there have been protests by major fuel users about the rising costs and demands for action by gov

Achieving environmental excellence in today's aggregate extraction will help ensure access to mineral resources in the future, according to Lafarge's Arnaud Colson Balancing different land uses means that biodiversity and sustainability have become hot topics in Europe's quarrying sector over the last decade and are likely to remain at the forefront of the industry. Recent research and new understanding means that some companies in the industry are not just talking about the environment but can actually pro

Finland has one of the highest aggregate consumption rates per capita anywhere in the world. Heikki Hari takes a look at this unusual market Being a small country - with a population of 5.3 million - Finland does not feature in the extremes of aggregate production. There is one exception though - because the country is relatively large compared to its population, the annual consumption of aggregates per person is 20tonnes, which is one of the highest figures in the world. Finland features a large number of

Road transport not only makes up a significant part of aggregate price but can also influence permissions for new quarries. Claire Symes reports Transporting aggregates from the quarry to the customer is a costly business and many aggregate prices are quoted as ex-works to make the cost per tonne comparable. Road transport is often the easy solution for delivering quarried materials direct to the customer but while it is the 'simple' approach, it is not always the most popular with the public. A quick revie

Replacement of screening equipment at Fercav's quarry has helped to safeguard the future of fine Italian ceramics Like construction materials, demand for ceramics is also high and driving quarries that extract clays used by this industry to invest in new production equipment. Italy's Modena-based clay extraction specialist Fercav is no exception - the company has just invested in a new Extec screen to boost production. The company, which was founded in 1964 by the father and uncle of present owners, Corrado

Mike Woof takes a look at the ever-increasing versatility of the articulated dump truck The articulated dump truck (ADT) has developed over the years as a go-anywhere, heavy-duty haulage machine. The market for ADTs in quarrying has increased progressively over time and this trend is set to continue. While rigid trucks offer a longer operating life as a rule, they are more expensive to buy and are more restricted as to the types of terrain they can be operated on. With many quarries becoming deeper and haul

Telsmith's new Vibro-King TL screens have an innovative drive system that the company claims will reduce maintenance. "The drive system has no contact lip seals and uses centrifugal force to power the screen. The centrifugal force constantly pushes oil away from the seal area and a snap-in urethane labyrinth seal helps to keep dust out," said Telsmith marketing manager Jim Schreiner. "By avoiding contact in the drive system, it removes the wear elements, so maintenance and the potential for breakdown is muc

Screening wire specialist Major Wire Industries has released Flex-Thane, which combines the advantages of polyurethane media and woven wire screens - virtually eliminating blinding and plugging on flat modular screen decks. Flex-Thane panels consist of independently vibrating wires, bonded in place with Major Wire's distinctive lime-green polyurethane strips, and are designed to be used in place of polyurethane and rubber screen media. Polyurethane and rubber screen media have long been popular for their ex

Lafarge says its latest half-year figures show that its actions to generate sales growth and cash, and to improve returns, led to a third consecutive quarter of positive trends. In the second quarter sales were up 5% to €4.261 billion and the current operating income up 11% to €755 million, while “strong cash generation and cost savings measures are on track.” EBITDA rose 8% to €1.007 billion.

Metso Minerals has unveiled the Lokotrack LT106 as the successor to its LT105 mobile tracked jaw crusher. The primary crushing plant was launched to the global market at ConExpo in Las Vegas, US in March and is already commercially available. The unit is built around the new Norberg C106 jaw crushing unit, which has an innovative cavity design, longer stroke and system to optimise the revolution speed. According to Metso, the new jaw unit adds 10% more crushing efficiency to the LT106 compared to the previo

Production improvements of around 30% are possible using Sandvik's new Hurricane VSI rotor, which can be retrofitted on any VSI crusher, said the company. It claims the autogenous design is a major breakthrough in VSI design, with patents pending on four rotor and wear parts. "One of the main advantages of the new design is the reduced vibration levels within the crusher," said Sandvik Mining and Construction market and offering manager Gareth Orritt. The weight of the unit is also 25% lower than other avai

FLSmidth Krebs' new Gravelmax slurry pump aims to boost dredging operations, offering high performance and low maintenance. The completely new system is designed to stop suction side circulation and allows the pumps to offer dredging rates 50% higher than other similarly-sized units on the market. "The lower recirculation helps to reduce the power consumption of the unit, making it more cost-effective to operate," said FLSmidth Krebs regional sales manager Brad Feathers. The Gravelmax series is available in

Astec subsidiary BTi has launched its largest-ever hydraulic hammer with the 5.5tonne BXR150. The company had a prototype of the hammer on display on its stand at ConExpo and the unit is expected to be commercially available soon, following completion of field testing in a California quarry. According to BTi the hammer has an extra long stroke design which improves the power-to-weight ratio. The hammer is designed for use with carriers in the 55 to 100tonnes operating weight range with a flow range of 300 t

Sandvik has added to its hydraulic breaker line-up with the launch of the BR2155, which breaker marketing director Teemu Teelahti said sets new standards in flexibility. "It is an industry first for a breaker with a range of different options to be made available," he said. "The unit also sets new standards in terms of design, with a lube system built into the impactor with no external hoses. The benefit is that the grease is at the same temperature as the breaker so there are no viscosity issues and the op

Crushing specialist Hazemag & EPR's SB1350 impact roller crusher is transferring technology established in the mining industry to the aggregates market. Hazemag & EPR general manager Martin Wetter said, "The technology has been used for some time by the coal industry but is now becoming accepted in the quarrying market. We have 19 machines working in the US and we are expecting demand to grow." The chain-driven conveyor has been designed to have regular flight bars and wings to ensure all the material passe

Liebherr has introduced its largest hydrostatically-driven wheeled loader, the L586 2plus2. The machine, first seen in Europe towards the end of last year, weighs in at 35.6tonnes and comes with a 20.4tonne tipping load. Liebherr has long pioneered hydrostatic drives in its wheeled and tracked loaders. The company claims that the L586 is up to 25% more fuel efficient than a conventional drive machine. The system is also said to offer up to 25% less tyre wear and greatly reduced brake wear. The company has a