Quarries are large deposits of rock used in construction. They can be found worldwide and contain a specific type of rock. There are two types of quarries: gravel pits and dimension stone quarries. Quarries are not usually dug underground and must be protected from groundwater infiltration and rain. After abandonment, quarries are secured to prevent injury or toxins from leaching into the water. Some idle quarries can be converted into safe swimming and recreational areas.
A quarry is a large deposit of rock such as granite that is quarried for use in construction projects. Quarries are found all over the world and most contain a heavy concentration of a particular type of rock such as marble, limestone, slate or chalk. In many nations, the word quarry is used interchangeably for two types of quarry: gravel pits, from which gravel and particulate matter are extracted, and dimension stone quarries, from which large chunks of slab rock are extracted for construction. . Dimensional stone is used to make tile, flagstone, countertops, roofing, and other projects that require large slabs of uniform stone.
Unlike other types of mines, a quarry is not usually dug underground and rarely goes deeper than 60 feet (18 meters). A shallow trench is dug into a deposit of flowing rock near the surface, and the trench is slowly expanded to remove valuable rock material. If the quarry is being used to mine gravel or fill, explosives can be used to break it up before it is removed and loaded onto trucks. If dimension stone is needed, the excavation process is more painstaking to ensure that the dimension stone is not damaged.
While a quarry is in operation, it must be protected from groundwater infiltration and rain, otherwise it will turn into a small pond or lake. Many quarries are surrounded by ditches of impermeable material to prevent seepage, and are also covered to prevent rain from pooling in the open pit. In some cases, pumps may be installed to facilitate the removal of water from the quarry. The company that built the quarry also maintains the roads to and from the site and sometimes builds a temporary processing center for the rock so it can be removed, graded and processed on site, with the excess being disposed of at the site instead of miles away.
After a quarry has been abandoned, it is usually fenced off or otherwise secured to prevent people from getting injured there. In some cases there may be toxins present at the site due to the way the rock was quarried. In others, as the quarry slowly fills with water, it can be a tempting place to swim. However, quarry can pose a danger to swimming through objects in the water, depth, cold, or toxins that may have been leached into the water. In some cases, an idle quarry can be converted to a swimming area, with modifications made to create a safe swimming and recreational area.
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