Good dolerite sources are being systematically depleted and quality aggregates produced from this igneous rock have become scarce. The result is often that quality materials have to be hauled over ever increasing distances adding to the overall cost of a project.

In a proactive move that will see superior quality aggregates produced from a hard rock dolerite resource in the Mpumalanga coalfields regions, B&E International is establishing a larger quarry on the footprint of what was previously the Howard Quarry. Chris Weideman, director operations at B&E International, says that the company has been operating in this region since its Kusile Quarry opened in 2011 and that to date this operation has produced on average 850 000 tpa. “Kusile Quarry was established to cater for the aggregate requirements for the construction of Kusile Power Station and the ancillary works on this project,” Weideman says.

“Significantly, although this quarry was started to supply the contractors doing the construction at Kusile, we soon found that there was plenty of demand from other project contractors in the area as quality aggregates were not readily available to them,” he says. As a result the quarry has been supplying a broad customer base with a full spectrum of aggregates. The quarry, however, had a finite reserve and this has almost been exhausted.

“The B&E International philosophy has always very strategic in terms of staying ahead of industry needs and by securing the hard rock dolerite resource at Howard Quarry our customers are assured of ongoing availability of quality aggregates,” Weideman says. Howard Quarry, situated south of the N4 between the Balmoral and Highveld Steel off ramps, has an envisaged life of 25 years, and independent test verification has confirmed this hard rock dolerite source is far superior to anything else found in the region.

Quarry manager, Andre Kamfer, says the production methods deployed at the quarry will ensure the highest quality product is available and all aggregates produced will ensure the design life of most projects are met due to the soundness, durability and lack of deleterious material.

“In order to service the current demand while we are ramping up the operation, a mobile plant has been installed at the new quarry. This will facilitate the transition between the final closure of the Kusile Quarry and the full scale operation of Howard Quarry,” Kamfer says. “By adopting this approach we have ensured that there will not be any shortage of materials during this period.”

It is anticipated that the new quarry will be able to meet the growing demand for superior quality road building aggregates in the region, and Jaco van Zyl, sales representative at B&E International, say Howard Quarry is ideally positioned to supply the road building and civils infrastructure projects as well as the residential market and mines in the area.

“Hard rock dolerite is considered favourable for concrete and is highly sought after by the construction industry, and used extensively across infrastructure projects both in the civils and mining sectors,” he says.

Howard Quarry will produce the aggregate requirements for road building across the entire spectrum including sub base, G2, G1, all concrete aggregates, the full range of seal and asphalt aggregates, railway ballast, gabion and dump rock aggregates and crusher sands in a minus 7 and a minus 475 (super sand).

“We have also entered into strategic partnerships with readymix and asphalt producers as well as brick and block making operations and they will establish their own operations at Howard Quarry as a value-add service to our customers in the region,” van Zyl says. The foresight for Howard Quarry will be to become a commercial quarry producing aggregates of choice across the full spectrum of industry requirements.