Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa institute of technology

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Construction technology and Management

Construction Materials (CENG-6105)

AGGREGATE PRODUCTION SITE

VISIT REPORT

Submitted by: Hanna H/Mikael DAGNE (ID: GSR/9921/13)

Andualem Tadesse MENGSTU(ID: GSR/3901/13

Submitted to: Professor Dr. Eng. Abebe Dinku

2021
Aggregate production site visit report

Andualem MENGISTU1, Hanna DAGNE2

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ASSIGNMENT NO-1

1
MSc Student AAiT, School of Civil and environmental engineering, Construction
technology and management. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa Ethiopia;
ID: GSR/ 3901/13; PH (+251) 911-278-945; email: [email protected]
2
MSc Student AAiT, School of Civil and environmental engineering, Construction
technology and management. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa Ethiopia;
ID: GSR/9921/13; PH (+251) 912-465-775; email: [email protected]

ACKNOWLEGMENT:
First, we would like to thank and praise God for his guidance and
protection for our existence in our life and success.

We also would like to express our deepest gratitude to Instructor,

professor Dr. Eng. Abebe Dinku for giving us such a chance to grasp practical
knowledge in interact with the physical world of aggregate production.

Finally yet importantly, we would like to extend our deepest thanks to all
my staffs and workers of the visited companies for their invaluable responses and
supports.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Aggregates are one and major constituent of concrete productions. They
occupy nearly 65-75% of produced concrete by volume. In dealing with concrete

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production in construction industry, basic knowledge about aggregate production

is essential. The major concern of this report is to visit two aggregate production
sites around Addis Ababa to assess, visualize and understand overall aggregate
production processes including the way it is produced starting from raw stone
production, the whole process and techniques they used, how aggregate handled,
the efficiency of their production, the consistency of their product in terms of
quality, supply and sustainability, overall production cost , selling prices as well
as profitability of the company is discussed.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement……………………….……………………………………1

Executive summary:..................................................................................................2
1. Introduction....................................................................................................4
2. Objective of Site Visit.....................................................................................4
3. Methodology and Discussion.........................................................................5
3.1. Methodology.....…………………..……………………………………..5
3.2. Discussions…………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
3.2.1. General Discription of the site………………………………….5
3.2.2. Steps of works of the company…………………………...……6

3.2.3. Quarry site conditions………………………………..………...7

4. Conclusion......................................................................................................9
5. Recommendations........................................................................................10
6. References....................................................................................................10

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1. INTRODUCTION
AGGREGATES are the most important constituents in concrete.
Aggregates generally occupy 65-75% of the volume of concrete. Hence due
consideration should be given in their selection and proportioning. Earlier,
aggregates were considered as chemically inert materials but now it has been
recognized that their physical, thermal and at times chemical properties influence
those of the concrete [1]. Aggregate source can be Natural aggregates from
riverbeds or from quarries (crushed rocks) or artificial from industry wastes such
as blast furnace slag or from recycled sources (crushed concrete or bricks).

In choosing aggregate for use in particular concrete attention should be

given to three important requirements: Workability when fresh for which the size
and gradation of the aggregate should be such that undue labor in mixing and
placing will not be required. Strength and durability when hardened [1].

A quarry is a type of mine called an open-pit mine, because it is open to

the Earth's surface. The most common purpose of quarries is to extract stone for
building materials.

Choosing best quarry site involves extraction of representative rock

samples from quarry sites were collected and tested for physical, mechanical and
chemical properties to ensure that the source rock is suitable for ballast aggregate
and Geo technical survey will be done if the area has a potential for suitable
source.

In addition for a quarry to be selected some criteria are considered such

as; slope of the quarry rock face, distance of the quarry site, land use/land cover,
accessibility, rock type and degree of weathering

In this particular site visit report aggregate production sites from quarry to
final production point is discussed. Doing so observations are held that aggregate
suppliers under go in different process and steps in finalizing the product for the
intended purpose.

2. OBJECTIVE OF SITE VISIT

To get an understanding how aggregate are produced from the theoretical point of
view and to relate with the actual practical activates to supplement the course in
the class. In addition to observe and understand the different activates and
techniques carried out on aggregate production site, to feel reality at site level and
to notice and understand the machineries and labors work in the aggregate
production sites.

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3. METHODOLOGY AND DISCUSSION

3.1. METHODOLOGIES

The method we used to prepare this particular report is physically visit the
site and interview the stake holders, Company managers and engineer.

3.2. DISCUSSIONS
3.2.1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE
In this report, we select two random aggregate production sites around
Addis Ababa GORO and REFENT Behind Bole International Airport.

Site-1 GORO

Company name: Derje Belete Black Rock Mining.

Address: Goro sefera, bole sub city, Woreda 11

Total coverage area of the quarry site: 25,000 m2

Production capacity (24 working hours): 300-400 m3/day of size 02 gravel

300 m3/day of size 01 gravel

150 m3/day of size 00 gravel

Equipment’s used for production: fixed crasher plant

Excavator with bucket

Excavator with jack hammer

Loaders

Trucks

Driller (that works with air pressure)

Facilities on site: Generator powerhouse, explosive house, water tanker, offices,

and toilets and break areas

Work force on-site: maintenance crew, production crew, accountants, police

guards for explosive house and guards at main gate (was told about 60 people
work per shifts).

Site-2 REFENT (Behind Bole International Airport)

Company name: Bera Aggregate Suppliers PLC.

Location: Refent, Behind Bole International AirPort, Bole sub city, Woreda
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Total coverage area of the quarry site: 25,000 m2

Production capacity (24 hours): 22-25 Trucks/day of size 02 gravel (352-

400m3)

8 trucks/day of size 01 gravel

(>128m3)

5 Trucks/day of size 00 gravel(>80)

Equipment’s used for production: fixed crasher plant

Explosives

Excavator with bucket

Excavator with jackhammer

Loaders

Trucks

Facilities on site: Generator powerhouse, explosive house, water tanker, offices,

and toilets and break areas

Labor on-site: maintenance crew, production crew, accountants, police guards

for explosive house and guards at main gate (was told about 25 people work per
shifts).

3.2.2. STEPS OF WORKS IN THE COMPANY

1. Blasting: is a technic they use for production of raw stones from the quarry
this process is a controlled process. Activity involved are they drill in to
the ground and use explosive to crush the stones to boulders.
2. Mobilization boulders using dump trucks: this is repetitive routine from
quarry to crushing plant using dump trucks. For both the visited companies
the quarry is to some extent far away from the crushing plant.
3. Boulders are dumped and goes to coarse crushing Equipment ( Jaw
Crusher) this crushes the boulders in to smaller pieces suitable for
secondary crusher(impact Crusher).
4. Crushed stones brought to impact crusher through belt conveyer system.
This system feeds continuously the impact crushers at reasonable timing .
5. Stone from impact crusher goes to vibrating screen through belt conveyer:
The screening process differentiate aggregates in to different sizes
particularly (00, 01 and 02 sizes). This particularly product output depends
on the need of the company expectation to produce certain sizes by
changing the screen wire on the vibrating screen. In the visited two sites
we prefer to produce size of 00, 4.75mm, 01 or 12mm, and 02, 20mm
aggregate sizes.

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6. The unscreened stones above the desired size will return to the impact
crusher through conveyer belt.
7. The process continuous to the end of the work.

The above listed steps are summarize with the following figure.

Fig 1 Process of stone crushing plant.

3.2.3. QUARRY SITE CONDITIONS

a. Availability quarry/ continuity: concerning the consistency of
supply both the sites have tremendous area of mountain rocks so they
can produce aggregates that can cover the need for more than 5 years.
b. Material Stocks: On Site 1 they stock the materials near crushing
plant when materials are excess at final disposal of the conveyor belt
by using loader they stock pile it for selling and clear the space for the
production to proceed. On site 2 they have no stock at all they told that
the production is sold immediately.
c. Quality and Consistency of aggregates: both sites have very good
consistency in aggregate size distribution but they told us during
summer they encounter difficulties in maintaining the consistency of
the aggregates due to muddy conditions of the site.

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Fig 2 Jaw Crasher Site 2. Fig:3 Conveyer Belt and Impact

Crasher

Fig 4 Vibrating Screen Site 1. Fig 4 Raw Stone Production Site

1.

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Fig 6 Final Product of 00 aggregate site2. Fig 7 Final Product of 02 aggregate

site1.

Fig 8 Final Product of 01 agg. site2. Fig 9 Boulders are fed into jaw
crusher.

4. CONCLUSION
From the visit, we noticed that Aggregate production business is a
profitable business if it is managed properly and if it is done with sufficient study
starting from source selection machine selection and management techniques
employed. In addition, we were able to see and understand the whole process of
gravel production. The companies concerned have different problems indeed.
They have disturbing fluctuation of electric power so that they have to use
Generators most of the time. They also face some prohibition in using explosives
at certain times during productions due to security reasons.

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We were also able to see and be impressed on the company’s initiative to

have a rehabilitation work on the quarry-finished areas where they back fill and
plant trees. However due to less availability of water to the site area dust pollution
is the main concern.

This site visit report is summarized with the following table below

Particulars Derje Belete Black Rock Bera Aggregate

Mining. Suppliers PLC.
Machine XG (China) China machine
Blasting Anfo dynamite, jack Jack hammer, Dynamite
hammer
Production cost Near 375birr/m3 Near 382.5Birr/m3
Selling cost 500birr/m3 500/m3
00
01 300birr/m3 300birr/m3
0 500birr/m3 500birr/m3
2
Consistency in Supply Nearly Consistent Nearly consistent
In quality Averagely consistent Averagely consistant
Profitability Profitable Profitable

5. RECOMMENDATIONS
Safety tools are provided by the company such as clothing, dust protecting
mask and safety shoes but as we seen many workers don’t use this and due to less
availability of water on site it is our concern that they use at least the dust
protecting masks for their own health benefits and the company has also a
responsibility to make sure regulations on site are being applied on site.

The concerned body shall supervise the productions area and should give
due attention in regard of power, there must be some regulation techniques
environmental sustainability and protections.

6. REFERENCES
 [1] Unpublished Abreham Assefa and Nasir Bedewi lecture notes in
construction materials.

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