Masonry Magazine April 2011 Page. 32
QUARRY TOUR
LAFARGE'S ROCK
QUARRY AND
AGGREGATE LAB
By Jennifer Morrell
RECENTLY, I TOURED LAFARGE'S CUMMING, GA., 500-ACRE ROCK QUARRY AND AGGREGATE LAB. Plant Manager David Stewart delivered a world-class view of the quarry, which has been in operation since the 1970s, to me and Masonry Advertising Director Marvin Diamond. A state-of-the-art Aggregate Lab is the home of endless testing of materials and products. The many functions of the quarry and lab truly are fascinating.
Each time an area of the quarry is chemically blasted, 30 to 50 tons of rock are produced. Oversized pieces are broken apart with a hydraulic hammer. Rock is dumped into a box with a vibrating plate, and then enters a jaw crusher. It is reduced to seven-inch pieces and then sent up a conveyor belt to begin the separation process. More than 10 sizes will eventually be sorted. The rocks are washed and sold to companies as aggregate, sand or other materials. A total of five companies are actually located at the quarry. Private citizens can buy aggregate and boulders for landscaping as well.
Some acreage of the Lafarge quarry property has been reserved for wild life in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation.
Also, located at the quarry is an Aggregate Lab and business office. Testing of Lafarge products takes place at the lab as well as testing for other agencies, state departments, etc. The lab also is the site of cutting-edge research and development, conducted by a
Freshly quarried rock is dumped into a jaw crusher and crushed into 7" pieces.
Rock is moved up a conveyor after going through the screen-sifting process. It falls off the long conveyor onto a mound. There are more than 10 sizes of rock as well as a dustbiproduct mined at the quarry.
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