Lesson 2/Learning Event 6
Learning Event 6
DESCRIBE OVERBURDEN REMOVAL CONSIDERATIONS
Grubbing and Clearing
If the quarrying site is wooded, your first operation in preparing the site is the clearing of all timber and
brush. Brush can usually be disposed of by burning, but larger timber should be moved clear of the site
boundaries. Suitable timber should be stockpiled for possible future use in the construction of headwalls
and loading ramps. All stumps and large boulders should be excavated and removed from the site.
Stripping
Stripping overburden is essentially an earthmoving function. Stripping should be undertaken using
bulldozers, scrapers, draglines, power shovels, or front loaders with dump trucks.
Overburden Removal
Overburden removal need not be completed before quarrying begins. However, the rock should be
exposed in several places throughout the quarry site to ascertain the structure and configuration of the
rock. In this way you can select the best possible approach to establishing the face. After the best
approach has been determined, you should concentrate overburden removal in the approach area to
begin quarrying with the least delay. Once rock excavation begins, overburden removal operations may
be reduced in intensity to keep pace with the day-to-day requirements for rock production.
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