Improvement of quartzite natural slabs extraction in the Barge basin quarries, Italy

摘要

The paper analyses the exploitation methods adopted by different enterprises for the productionof natural slabs of quartzite in an important quarry basin, in order to obtain suggestions for an improvement ofthe yield and of the profitability of the exploitation.In the first part of the paper the exploited bodies and the quality requirements of the product are described; anaccount is given also of the environmental constraints, of the general policy of the local authorities related tothe quartzite industry and of the market trends.The methods adopted by two exploiters, dealing with quite similar deposits, are then described and discussed;one of the exploiters mainly uses cautious blasting as excavation method, while the other mainly uses heavyhammer breakers. Typical production schemes are analysed for both cases, and conditions for successfulexploitation results are identified.The improvements with respect to current practice suggested by the analysis of the field data are exposed,dealing with general planning of the exploitation, drilling and blasting schemes, drilling and rock breakingequipment.A balance must be attained between the full exploitation of the cumulated know how (which is a peculiarity ofeach enterprise) and the innovative trends; this aspect of the technical progress is the subject of the concludingpart of the paper.