How do you mine granite?

Granite Is Mined from a Quarry Granite slabs are obtained from special sites that are known as quarries. Some of the most prolific quarries in the world are in far flung locations, such as Italy and Brazil. Using powerful machines, a mining company mines and blasts raw granite out of the quarry.

What type of mining is used for granite?

Powerful machinery and explosives are used to mine granite out of the earth. This raw granite is extracted in blocks that are later shaped into granite slabs. Granite is one of the most popular types of dimension stone – stone that is quarried for the purpose of creating blocks or slabs.

Where do most granite slabs come from?

Granite, Marble, and other types of natural stone, are mined in huge quarries all over the world. The majority of natural stone is imported from Brazil, Italy, Spain, and China. Brazil is known for its granite quarries, while Italy produces a majority of marble and onyx.

How is granite slabs made?

The process of making a granite countertop starts with large chunks of stone. Once these large chunks are mined, they are cut into blocks. The blocks are then sliced into slabs using specialized saws. Each slab is numbered to ensure that their natural sequence can be maintained.

How does granite mine work?

The process includes drilling holes through the rock and then using hydraulic hammers to detach the individual blocks of stone from their surroundings. Once the blocks are singled out, cranes are used to lift them to the surrounding surface.

How is granite mined and extracted?

Small holes are drilled to get the shape of the desired block size (making it easier to transport). Explosives are placed into these holes to carefully create a blast that’s just strong enough to separate the granite from the bedrock, without breaking the block itself.

Where does granite get mined?

Granite is found mainly in Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia, as these are the top producers of granite in the U.S., accounting for 64 percent of the country’s production. In 2016, natural stone was produced at 276 quarries within 34 states.

How is granite taken out of the ground?

A special saw, called a slab saw, is used to cut the block of granite into slabs. Slicing through the stone with the saw can take hours, sometimes even a day. The saw cuts slabs of granite all at once. These slabs of granite eventually become your granite tiles and granite countertops.

Where are granite mines?

Which country makes the best granite?

Some of the best granite in the world is quarried in Italy, China, India and Brazil. For example, Brazil produces a granite called Blue Fire. This legendary granite has a remarkable blue hue that really stands out. Blue Fire is also sold as Van Gogh granite, and it is the most expensive kind of granite in the world.

How are granite stone made?

Granite is an igneous rock (aka magmatic rock), which means that it is formed through the cooling and solidifying of magma. It is an intrusive igneous rock: granite is formed beneath the Earth’s surface when a magma intrusion in the existing rock solidifies.