Quarried Aggregate Q&A’s

Quarried Aggregates are mineral substances that have been extracted from a Quarry. Once they have been extracted, they are crushed, washed, treated and then produced to a required ‘grade’ ready for various uses in construction.

Quarried Aggregates are a versatile material which are used primarily in construction projects from small domestic works to large scale projects such as hospitals. Take a look at one of the projects we worked on supplying quarried aggregates to Hickley Sub Station in Bristol.

Some examples of common uses include, but are not limited to;

• Drainage structures,

• Foundations and

• Concrete.

• Roads,

• Pavements

• Driveways.

• Pothole Filling

Quarried Aggregates are classified by:

• Grain Size - generally split between fine (4.75mm or smaller) or coarse (larger than 4.75mm)

• Density

• Geographical location - where the aggregate comes from can have an impact on the quality

• Shape - Aggregates can be round, irregular, flakey, elongated etc. Different shapes can be mixed together.

Everywhere we go and everywhere we look, there will be quarried aggregate. Two well- known products - Concrete and Tarmac, is 70-90% aggregate. An average house contains 60-70t of aggregate, every footpath will be supported by stone, and every runway, railway and road will have used thousand of tonne of quarried aggregate material to construct. Almost every step we take and thing we touch in a developed area will be either supported or developed from quarried aggregates

In short - yes! You are most likely surrounded or stood on aggregate 99% of your day, take a short moment to think what would be missing without it. Our road network and the construction of our homes as we know, wouldn't be the same without it. Travel would be far more dangerous and less productive.

Even powering our homes - Gas, water and electric substations are all kept running with repairs that need many thousands of stone materials. At B&A group, we have first-hand experience of supplying over 120k thousand tonnes of material direct from a quarry for a final substation to support the local power network from a well-known power plant.

Although quarrying is an essential process needed to supply construction materials, there are long-standing concerns about the impact on the environment. Thankfully many improvements have been made to balance the demand for these materials, while reducing the negative effects on the environment. Some areas have reduced the number of active quarries at any one time, and many quarries have plans in place for what will happen once extraction ceases - for instance, planting trees and restoring the natural landscape to encourage biodiversity. Active Quarries restrict their active working hours to minimise visual and noise pollution.

B&A group have a number of sustainable development initiatives in place, such as Recovery and Waste Disposal, where by-product is actually diverted away from landfill and becomes suitable and categorised for use. Further to this, B&A group use intelligent logistic routing to minimise transportation, reducing the overall carbon footprint.

“It’s safe to say our world would be very different without quarries and one day it will be. This is why B&A group Invest millions in Recycling today for a better tomorrow to offer cost-effective solutions where possible.

As time, technology and equipment improves, so will the products that in many years to come will likely replace the material that geology has given us” - Stuart Palmer B&A Stone Supplies Division Manager

Since launching B&A Stone Supplies in 2020, B&A Group are proud to be the aggregate supplier of choice across Bristol and the South West. We offer high standards of material along with unrivaled customer care. To find out more about how we can support your project, call us on 0117 453 6446.