STONES

a natural, hard substance formed from minerals and

earth material which are present in rocks.

Rock
the portion of the earth’s crust having no definite
shape and structure
Methods of Quarrying

1. Quarrying with hand tools

2. Quarrying with channeling machine

3. Quarrying by blasting
Quarrying with hand tools
1. Digging or Excavating
Instruments like pick-axes, hammers, shovels, chisels, etc are used.
Useful in case of soft stones.

2. Heating
Heating the top surface by placing wood or adding fuel
Useful in taking out blocks of more or less regular shapes.

3. Wedging
Steel wedges are driven through
cracks and fissures.
Adopted for costly stratified rocks
like laterite, limestone, sandstone.
Quarrying with channeling machine
Machines driven by steam, compressed air and electricity.
Channels are cut around the stone block which is to be removed from rock.
The horizontal holes are drilled beneath the block
Wedges are driven into the holes and the block is then broken loose
Adopted for Marble, Limestone and soft sandstone.

Quarrying by blasting
Use of explosives.
To obtain small pieces of rock.
Adopted for quarrying hard stones which have no cracks and fissures.
Tools used are; Dipper, Jumper, Priming Needle, Scraping spoon, Tamping bar.
Detonators, Explosives, and Fuses are the materials.
Saves time and labor.
Precautions to be taken seriously.