Industrial Minerals 2005 – Construction Aggregates

Natural aggregates, primarily stone, sand and gravel, are recovered from widespread, naturally occurring mineral deposits and processed for use primarily in the construction industry. They are mined, crushed, sorted by size, and sold loose or in concrete products to build roads, houses, buildings and other structures. Smaller quantities are used in agriculture, cement manufacture, and chemical and metallurgical processes. The growth of cities, their buildings and the highways that connect them have created demand for enormous quantities of aggregates. Consumption has now reached 9 t (10 st) per person and continues to grow faster than population. The aggregates industry is the largest mining industry in the United States in terms of production by weight, by volume and by number of active operations. About 80 percent of the concrete pavement and more than 90 percent of the asphalt pavement is composed of aggregates.