Aggregates and Quarry Engineering

Geological Engineers work on a variety of projects which protect and preserve the earth.  Geological Engineers work on finding aggregate resources, evaluating the quality of the materials, extracting them from the ground, crushing and screening them into useful sizes, all the while minimizing the impacts on the environment and ensuring that the impacted areas can be rehabilitated when extraction is complete.

We have a geological emphasis area in Engineering Geology and Geotechnics.  If you choose this emphasis area, you will be taking some of the following courses:

• Rock Mechanics

• Soil Mechanics

• Construction Materials - Properties and Testing

• Aggregates and Quarrying

• Rock Engineering

• Environmental Aspects of Mining

• Mining Exploration

• Principles of Explosives Engineering

• Drilling and Blasting

• Strata Control

Engineering in an aggregate quarry is very much interdisciplinary.  You can start out as a geological engineer, but end up doing mining engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or even electrical.  The typically career path for an engineer goes from being an intern to quality control engineer, to production manager, and finally to quarry manager.  Some of our graduates become quarry managers in less than 5 years.  If you intern with a large aggregate company you will probably spend the first 2 years learning to do every single job in the quarry, from drilling and blasting, to operating the heavy machinery, and learning the ins an outs of the crushing screening operation.  You will learn how to do all the quality control tests and write environmental reports and permit application.  At the end of the 2 year internship you intimately understand all aspects of the quarrying operation.

Video of hydro-mining

Video of large rock saw

Blasting video