gravel quarry
A site extracting gravel from the ground in bulk, generally with particles 2 to 64 millimeters across.
A gravel quarry is a place where medium-to-small-grained particulate rock is extracted from the ground in large quantities, most often for use in concrete and other construction materials but also not uncommonly as a crude paving substance. Gravel particles are much larger than sand, generally ranging from 2 to 64 millimeters in diameter.
The material is extracted as particulate rock rather than cut as large building-stone blocks. Its usual grain size distinguishes gravel from the much finer material of a sand quarry.
Construction mixtures and crude paving are common destinations for the gravel. The extraction site is distinct from a yard that only stores or sells material quarried elsewhere.
Related definitions
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chalk quarry
A site extracting chalk, a soft white calcite material, from an open pit or an underground mine. -
cinder quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring volcanic cinders in bulk for uses such as surfacing, mulch, or material mixtures. -
clay quarry
A site deliberately extracting fine-grained clay deposits for further use, excluding incidental excavation. -
granite quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring granite from the earth on a large scale, usually as blocks or slabs. -
gypsum quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring gypsum, calcium sulfate dihydrate, from the earth in bulk. -
limestone quarry
A site where sedimentary calcium rock is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets. -
marble quarry
A site where metamorphic carbonate rock is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets. -
sand quarry
A site where loose sand is extracted from the ground or a seabed in large quantities. -
sandstone quarry
A site where sedimentary rock of compacted sand is extracted from the earth in large blocks. -
slate quarry
A site where rock from metamorphized clay is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets.