Top Industry Terms and Definitions Used in Mining and Quarrying

Mining and quarrying are essential industries that keep our world running, from building skyscrapers to constructing roads and producing energy. If you're stepping into these fields, you might feel overwhelmed by the jargon and specialized equipment names, that’s why we’ve done a breakdown of some of the most common processes, equipment, and terms you’ll encounter.

Adit: A horizontal or nearly horizontal passage driven from the surface into a mine for the purposes of access or drainage.

Advanced Exploration: The phase in the mining process that involves more detailed sampling and mapping, typically involving drilling to find and define the size and grade of a mineral deposit.

Aggregate: A broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, and slag.

Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR): A chemical reaction in concrete between alkaline cement paste and reactive non-crystalline silica found in many common aggregates. This reaction can cause expansion and cracking over time.

Alluvium: Sediment deposited by flowing water, typically in riverbeds, floodplains, and deltas.

Approved Code of Practice (ACOP): A set of guidelines issued by a regulatory authority to provide practical guidance on how to comply with legal requirements regarding health and safety in specific industries.

Apron Feeder: A type of feeder that uses a series of steel plates to transport materials, often used in mining and quarrying operations.

Aquifer: An underground layer of water-bearing rock or sediment that can store and transmit groundwater.

Argillite: Also known as Mudstone A sedimentary rock composed mainly of clay-sized particles, also known as mudstone.

Armour Rock: (alternatively, Rip Rap Rock) Large, durable rock used to protect shorelines and structures from erosion by water and ice.

Auger: A drilling device or tool with a rotating helical screw blade used to drill holes in the ground. ABI auger drives are examples of these drilling attachments.

Basalt: A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock often used in construction as aggregate or dimension stone.

Basecourse: A layer of material laid down to provide a stable base for construction, such as roads and pavements.

Batter: A slope of earth or rock designed to stabilize the sides of an excavation or embankment.

Bedrock: The solid rock underlying loose deposits such as soil or alluvium.

Benches (AKA Berms): Horizontal ledges in a quarry or mine where material is extracted.

Blast: The controlled use of explosives to break rock for excavation.

Bolter Miner: A machine used in underground mining to simultaneously cut rock and install roof bolts, providing support to the roof of the mine.

Borer Miner: A type of continuous miner that uses a large rotating head to bore into rock and extract minerals.

Boulder: A large rock, typically one that has been moved and weathered.

Breakers: Hydraulic breakers and jackhammers are machines' attachments used to break apart large rocks and boulders, & asphalt. These tools increase productivity by simplifying the breaking process. Examples are Toku breakers and Jisung jackhammers.

Buckets: Buckets are used to carry and move debris and materials, whereas crusher and screening buckets are specialized buckets that enhance the functionality of excavators and loaders. They allow for on-site crushing and sorting of materials, improving efficiency and reducing waste management time by up to 50%. World Attachments crusher buckets and Simex screening buckets are versatile tools that help reduce the amount of material needing transportation.

Cement: A powdery substance made with calcined lime and clay. It can be mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel, and water to make concrete.

Certificate of Competence (CoC, A-Grade, B-Grade): A certification required for certain roles in the mining and quarrying industries, indicating that the holder has the necessary skills and knowledge. B-grade quarry managers can manage up to 4 others working in the operation, A-grade quarry managers can manage an unlimited number of workers

Claim: A piece of land staked by a miner where they have the exclusive right to extract minerals.

Cleavage: The tendency of a mineral to break along flat planar surfaces as determined by the structure of its crystal lattice.

Coarse-grained: Describes rock or mineral particles that are relatively large in size.

Continuous Miner: A machine used in underground mining to cut and gather material, typically coal, without the need for drilling and blasting.

Conveyor: A mechanical device used to transport materials over a distance, commonly used in mining and quarrying operations.

Contaminant: A substance that makes something impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture.

Crusher: Crushers are machines used to reduce the size of large rocks and stones. They are vital in both mining and quarrying to break down material to a manageable size for further processing or transport. Powerscreen jaw crushers offered by Al Marwan are robust and efficient for various crushing needs.

Crushing: The process of breaking down large rocks into smaller pieces.

Decibel (dB): A unit of measurement for sound intensity. 

Deplete: To use up the available resources or supply of a mineral deposit.

Diamond Drilling (also known as Core Drilling): A method of drilling that uses a diamond-tipped drill bit to cut a cylindrical core of rock for examination.

Dig: To break up and move soil or rock to extract minerals.

Dozer: A large, motorized machine equipped with a metal blade for pushing material to the front. It travels commonly on tracks, though specialized models riding on off-road tires are also produced. Al Marwan owns and operates a number of large dozers for rent.

Dragline: A large excavating machine used in surface mining to remove overburden and extract minerals.

Drill Bit: The cutting tool attached to the end of the drill string that breaks the rock or sediment to form a hole.

Drill Hole: A hole drilled into the ground to explore for minerals or to extract them.

Drill Rig: The machine used to drill holes or boreholes in the ground to find minerals. Al Marwan owns a range of brand-new ABI drilling equipment for sale.

Dump Truck: Sometimes called a dumper or a haul truck, a vehicle designed for carrying and dumping large volumes of loose material, such as soil, sand, or gravel over rough terrain. They play a crucial role in moving materials from the extraction site to processing areas or storage facilities. Off-highway used dump trucks for sale from Cat such as Cat 777E and 773E are among the most reliable dump trucks used in these industries.

Dust: Fine particles of material that can be airborne and pose a health hazard in mining and quarrying environments. In construction work, the term generally applies to rock products smaller than 5mm after crushing.

Excavator: Sometimes called digger, is a powerful machine essential for digging and removing large quantities of earth and rock. Excavators are the workhorses of mining and quarrying operations, capable of handling tough conditions and heavy materials. Al Marwan Machinery boasts several high-capacity mining excavators, including the massive Komatsu PC2000, Komatsu PC1250, or Hitachi EX1200.

Explosives Store: A secure facility for storing explosives used in mining and quarrying.

First Class Ore: High-quality ore that contains a large concentration of valuable minerals.

Fly-Rock: Debris that is propelled beyond the blast area during blasting operations.

Front End Loader (Loader): A heavy equipment machine used for loading materials into trucks or other vehicles. Machines like the Komatsu WA900 are examples of wheel loaders that provide high capacity and efficient loading capabilities.

Frost Action: The process where water in soil or rock freezes and thaws, causing expansion and contraction that can break up the material.

Gemstone: A precious or semi-precious stone, especially when cut and polished or engraved.

Geochemical Survey: The collection and chemical analysis of samples from the earth's surface to identify the presence of minerals.

Grab Sampling: A sampling technique where individual samples are taken at random from a larger volume of material.

Grab Attachment: An attachment for excavators and loaders designed to grasp and move large materials like logs, rocks, or scrap. it can be divided according to the types of working goods, ore grabs, coal grabs, grain grabs, timber grabs

Grader: Also known as motor grader, is a machine used to create a smooth, flat surface during the grading process in construction, and is quite useful in the construction and maintenance of haul roads within mines. Brands such as Cat and Komatsu offer a number of robust motor graders.

Greywacke: A type of hard, dark, coarse-grained sandstone.
Hard-Rock Quarry: A quarry that extracts solid rock, such as granite or basalt, rather than loose materials.

Lapis Lazuli: A deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color.

Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, used as a building material and in the manufacture of cement.

Load and Haul: The process of loading materials onto trucks or conveyors and transporting them to another location.

Load Out: The process of loading extracted materials onto transport vehicles for shipment.

Manufactured Sand (PAP): Artificially created sand made by crushing rocks, typically used in construction.

Mine: An excavation in the earth for extracting minerals.

Motorized Scrapers (Motor Scraper): Machines used for earthmoving operations, capable of scraping, collecting, and depositing soil.

Noise Exposure Level: A measure of the total noise exposure experienced by an individual over a given period. Machinery manufacturers ensure their equipment operates within lower decibel ranges to avoid causing disturbances and noise pollution. For example, the ABI TM22 drilling rig is designed with noise reduction features to minimize its impact.

Overburden: The layer of soil and rock covering a mineral deposit that must be removed before extraction. 

Particle Size Distribution (PSD, Grading Curve): The distribution of different-sized particles in a sample of aggregate or soil.

Plasticity Index (PI, Atterberg Limits): A measure of the plasticity of soil, indicating its ability to be molded.

Quarry: A place where stone, sand, gravel, or other materials are extracted from the ground.

Rock Drill: A tool or machine designed to drill holes in rock for blasting or for creating passages in mining operations.

Rotary Drill Rig: A machine used to drill holes in the earth with a rotating drill bit, commonly used in mining and quarrying for exploration and extraction purposes.

Scalping: The process of removing large, unwanted material from aggregate before further processing.

Screener: Aggregate screener sorts materials by size, ensuring the right fit for further processing or sale. It is essential for producing high-quality aggregates and separating valuable minerals from waste. Powerscreen screeners available through the Al Marwan dealership for sale or rental ensure accurate and efficient material sorting.

Screening: The process of sorting materials by size.

Sediment Control: Measures taken to prevent sediment from eroding and entering waterways.

Sedimentary Rock: Rock that has formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment, especially sediment transported by water, ice, and wind.

Shotfirer: A person who is licensed to use explosives in mining and quarrying operations.

Silt: Fine particles of soil or rock that can be suspended in water.

Stockpile: A large accumulated stock of materials, such as ore or coal, held in reserve.

Stratum: A layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers.

Sub-Grade: The layer of soil prepared to support a pavement or structure.

Subsoil: The layer of soil beneath the topsoil.

Surface Rights: The legal rights to use the surface of the land, which can be distinct from the rights to the minerals beneath the surface.

Topcourse: The upper layer of material in a road or pavement structure.

Topsoil: The uppermost layer of soil, rich in organic material and nutrients.

Water Truck: A vehicle equipped with a tank and pump to transport and distribute water, often used to control dust in mining and quarrying sites. Al Marwan offers a range of water trucks for sale from multiple brands.

Wheel Tractor-Scraper: A type of heavy equipment used for earthmoving, combining the capabilities of a scraper and a tractor to load, haul, and discharge material efficiently.

Whetstone: A stone used for sharpening cutting tools or knives.

Yard: A unit of measure equal to 3 feet or 0.9144 meters, often used to measure the length of drill core samples.