History
In the beginning
Hard stone such as sandstone, granite and limestone has been used for centuries to construct monuments and buildings.The Roman Empire, for example, built its vast network of roads and aqueducts using aggregates, among other materials. These stones were often extracted from quarries far from the sites where they were used.
The boom: from the 19th century to today |
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The invention of cement and concrete in the 19th century greatly increased demand for aggregates. With the boom in the construction sector, the use of raw materials from stone is growing. Large volumes of aggregates are still used today, with France alone using 1 million tons per day! Operations have adapted to meet the needs of customers and a wide range of applications. Today, different forms of aggregates are available:
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Crushing and grindingCrushing is one phase in the aggregate production process. After scalping (removal of unwanted clay, etc.), the materials are crushed and ground (broken into smaller pieces). Uses of aggregates A variety of uses
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History: Lafarge and aggregates |
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Lafarge's Aggregates Business experienced tremendous growth with the acquisition of:
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AnecdoteDid you know? One kilometer of railway requires 16,000 tons of aggregates, while 1 kilometer of highway takes 30,000 tons! In France, 1 million tons of aggregates are used daily to build infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals, housing, schools, etc. |
