The durability of a construction project depends on the materials being used. Those materials can come from a number of different sources, one of them being a quarrying or excavating process. The method of retrieval impacts the overall quality of the construction project, and below are four major substances that are gathered through a quarrying process.

What Materials Are Obtained Through the Quarrying Process?

1. Aggregate Materials

One of the most commonly used materials that result from quarrying and excavating are aggregate products. They include a combination of sand, rock, and gravel that are crushed to be utilized for construction projects, specifically as ready-mix concrete or asphalt. 

2. Coal

Coal can be obtained through two major processes — underground mining and opencast mining. The method chosen depends on the country and where the coal is physically located. If it’s located deep within the Earth’s surface, underground mining is used. However, other countries are able to use surface, or opencast, mining, which involves removing any trees, wilderness, and topsoil, then blasting the surface of the ground to access the coal deposit.

3. Limestone

Limestone is important to the construction industry because it’s a critical ingredient in cement and lime. Like coal, excavating limestone usually involves using opencast mining, although underground mining methods have been used depending on the quality of the limestone. Both drilling and blasting are used to chip away at surrounding terrain to form a quarry and reveal the limestone.

4. Clay

Clay is used for a number of purposes, including for bricks, pottery, and cement. There are multiple types, such as ball clay and common clay, each of which has a specific purpose. For example, ball clay is best for pottery, while common clay is better suited for cement and other construction uses. Clay is typically obtained using an open pit located near the manufacturing plant since the material is heavy. Sometimes, when clay quarries have been fully mined and are no longer fruitful, some countries will fill them in with water to offer a place for people to enjoy the water, go swimming, and for wildlife to redevelop.

If you are searching for a top quality excavating company that can provide a host of materials for construction, choose the team at Golden Alaska Excavating. Based in Kodiak, AK, they also offer site preparation for construction projects and are dedicated to keeping their prices competitive. They’re both a rock and concrete supplier, and they will provide water and sewer installation services. They’re proud to be a BBB-accredited business and are fully insured and bonded. Give them a call at (907) 539-6490 or visit their website to learn more about how they can improve the quality and efficiency of any construction project.