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Cement/Lime including Quarrying - Mfg

Industry Code: 34101

Compulsory

This industry is for businesses which manufacture cement (not concrete), and includes quarrying when done in conjunction with manufacturing operations. This industry will include businesses which manufacture lime, including the quarrying process. Finally, it will also include businesses that collect, wash, separate, grade and dry either sand or coal as a refining process.

Operation Details:

Quarrying is the drilling, blasting and collecting of rock by machines. Rock is eventually crushed to a reasonable size to permit easier handling and transportation.

One cement manufacturer operates an underground rock crushing facility, one of only two such facilities in the world. A tunnel is bored through the base of a mountain (large enough to permit a vehicle) and the rock crushing equipment is set up in the middle of the mountain. Power and lighting equipment, a conveyor, steel walkways, and safety equipment are installed. A large perpendicular tunnel (glory hole) leads from the top of the mountain (where blasting is done) down to the large rock crusher. At the top of the mountain, the blasted rock is loaded onto large trucks, and the trucks travel the short distance to the top of the 'glory hole' and dump the load. The rock falls down the 'glory hole', into the crusher, and is moved by conveyor out the bottom of the mountain into waiting rail cars. When the string of rail cars is full, they are transported to the cement manufacturing facility.

In the cement making process, lime is mixed with clay or shale, crushed and fed into a kiln. The raw material is heated until it forms a clinker (hard granular material). The clinker is then mixed with additives and ground into the final cement powder, then stored in bulk or bagged. The additives give various characteristics to the cement such as gypsum to control the setting, iron to give the grey colour, calcium chloride for strength, alumina for quick setting, etc.

Lime is mined from limestone quarries and processed. Overburden is removed, then the limestone is blasted and removed using large front-end loaders and transported to the plant. The limestone is crushed to a desired size, ranging up to two inches, then run along a sloped conveyor system through a kiln. The limestone takes three hours to pass through the kiln at a temperature of 2,600 degrees F., during which time moisture and chemicals are driven out.

The result is lime (calcium oxide) as it emerges from the kiln after about 1/3 weight loss. The product can then be shipped in bag or bulk to be used in mortar and cement, or further processed. Further processing involves pulverizing the lime, adding water again, then running it through the kiln again to take the moisture out. This simply changes the properties so that the powdered "slack" lime can be used for agricultural purposes such as neutralizing acid soil.

Sand is refined using a vibrating screen system. The raw material is fed into a drum containing a number of screens. As the drum vibrates up, down and around, the material is separated into different size granules. Magnetite and iron found in the sand are usually removed (electronically) so the sand can be used in the manufacturing of fiberglass, roofing materials and for sandblasting. Those engaged in the industry often refer to this product as "silica sand". The products are bagged and then shipped out or stored. The processed products may be used for filtration purposes.

Coal is sent through a hammer mill and/or a roller mill. A hammer mill, made up of a shaft with steel hammers, is used as the primary crushing equipment for breaking up the coal. A roller mill, consisting of two large rollers revolving in opposite directions, is the secondary equipment which breaks the coal down into finer lumps or grains. Occasionally the coal is shipped in wet and is dried in a propane heated dryer. This product is used for filtration or oil well cementing purposes.

A major function of businesses in this industry is to refine or process sand or coal. It will also include sand recovery activity.

Equipment may include trucks, conveyors, hoppers, pumps, drums, furnaces, separators, bagging systems, augers, hammer mills and roller mills. Workers may include operators, drivers, labourers, and service and maintenance personnel and sales and administrative staff.

Underwriting Considerations:

Concrete product manufacturing requires cement in the process and is classified in Industry 34700. Concrete batch plant and transit mix delivery is classified in industry 34800.

Businesses that only use mobile equipment for quarrying and/or blasting are classified in industry 40604. Businesses that operate gravel pits may clean and crush but typically only sell, load and haul pit product and are classified in industry 40604.

Businesses that refine coal in conjunction with mining would have the entire operation classified in industry 0611 - Mining & Overburden Removal.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Cement - Mfg
Coal- Refining
Lime - Mfg
Refining of Sand and Coal
Sand - Refining

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 2010, industries 08701 - Refine - Sand/Coal and 34300 - Lime Mfg Including Quarrying were consolidated into 34101 - Cement & Lime Mfg Incl. Quarrying.

This industry is for businesses which manufacture cement (not concrete), and includes quarrying when done in conjunction with manufacturing operations. This industry will include businesses which manufacture lime, including the quarrying process. Finally, it will also include businesses that collect, wash, separate, grade and dry either sand or coal as a refining process.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Cement - Mfg
Coal- Refining
Lime - Mfg
Refining of Sand and Coal
Sand - Refining

Operation Details:

Quarrying is the drilling, blasting and collecting of rock by machines. Rock is eventually crushed to a reasonable size to permit easier handling and transportation.

One cement manufacturer operates an underground rock crushing facility, one of only two such facilities in the world. A tunnel is bored through the base of a mountain (large enough to permit a vehicle) and the rock crushing equipment is set up in the middle of the mountain. Power and lighting equipment, a conveyor, steel walkways, and safety equipment are installed. A large perpendicular tunnel (glory hole) leads from the top of the mountain (where blasting is done) down to the large rock crusher. At the top of the mountain, the blasted rock is loaded onto large trucks, and the trucks travel the short distance to the top of the 'glory hole' and dump the load. The rock falls down the 'glory hole', into the crusher, and is moved by conveyor out the bottom of the mountain into waiting rail cars. When the string of rail cars is full, they are transported to the cement manufacturing facility.

In the cement making process, lime is mixed with clay or shale, crushed and fed into a kiln. The raw material is heated until it forms a clinker (hard granular material). The clinker is then mixed with additives and ground into the final cement powder, then stored in bulk or bagged. The additives give various characteristics to the cement such as gypsum to control the setting, iron to give the grey colour, calcium chloride for strength, alumina for quick setting, etc.

Lime is mined from limestone quarries and processed. Overburden is removed, then the limestone is blasted and removed using large front-end loaders and transported to the plant. The limestone is crushed to a desired size, ranging up to two inches, then run along a sloped conveyor system through a kiln. The limestone takes three hours to pass through the kiln at a temperature of 2,600 degrees F., during which time moisture and chemicals are driven out.

The result is lime (calcium oxide) as it emerges from the kiln after about 1/3 weight loss. The product can then be shipped in bag or bulk to be used in mortar and cement, or further processed. Further processing involves pulverizing the lime, adding water again, then running it through the kiln again to take the moisture out. This simply changes the properties so that the powdered "slack" lime can be used for agricultural purposes such as neutralizing acid soil.

Sand is refined using a vibrating screen system. The raw material is fed into a drum containing a number of screens. As the drum vibrates up, down and around, the material is separated into different size granules. Magnetite and iron found in the sand are usually removed (electronically) so the sand can be used in the manufacturing of fiberglass, roofing materials and for sandblasting. Those engaged in the industry often refer to this product as "silica sand". The products are bagged and then shipped out or stored. The processed products may be used for filtration purposes.

Coal is sent through a hammer mill and/or a roller mill. A hammer mill, made up of a shaft with steel hammers, is used as the primary crushing equipment for breaking up the coal. A roller mill, consisting of two large rollers revolving in opposite directions, is the secondary equipment which breaks the coal down into finer lumps or grains. Occasionally the coal is shipped in wet and is dried in a propane heated dryer. This product is used for filtration or oil well cementing purposes.

A major function of businesses in this industry is to refine or process sand or coal. It will also include sand recovery activity.

Equipment may include trucks, conveyors, hoppers, pumps, drums, furnaces, separators, bagging systems, augers, hammer mills and roller mills. Workers may include operators, drivers, labourers, and service and maintenance personnel and sales and administrative staff.

Underwriting Considerations:

Concrete product manufacturing requires cement in the process and is classified in Industry 34700. Concrete batch plant and transit mix delivery is classified in industry 34800.

Businesses that only use mobile equipment for quarrying and/or blasting are classified in industry 40604. Businesses that operate gravel pits may clean and crush but typically only sell, load and haul pit product and are classified in industry 40604.

Businesses that refine coal in conjunction with mining would have the entire operation classified in industry 0611 - Mining & Overburden Removal.

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 2010, industries 08701 - Refine - Sand/Coal and 34300 - Lime Mfg Including Quarrying were consolidated into 34101 - Cement & Lime Mfg Incl. Quarrying.