Sand and gravel operations lay the foundation (literally) that world economies are built upon.

Chances are, wherever you are, there is an active sand and gravel pit nearby. Sand and gravel products lay the groundwork for virtually all construction, landscaping, and transportation applications. Specialty sand and gravel products are also responsible for the production of silica (for glass and many other uses) and for products such as filter sands. These aggregates are used in the production of road base, concrete, your favorite golf coarse, and even your car windows.

There are a plethora of equipment manufacturers and processes for the production of these essential aggregate materials, but the basic process can generally be boiled down to the chart above. Some manufacturers, such as Terex, that even manufacture mobile sand and gravel plants that combine many of the steps above into one synchronized piece of equipment.

Here is a basic breakdown of the steps typically involved in sand and gravel operations.

These steps will vary significantly depending on a wide variety of factors and the intended end use and quality of feed stock materials produced at the pit. Additional steps may involve crushing or additional screening and processing cycles.

Raw Material Feed: Material enters the sand and gravel processing operation from a front end loader, or even a dredge

Blade Mill: Breaks bonded material down into smaller chunks

Clarifier: Removes silt and cleans water for re-circulation

Log Washer: Strips away any remaining clay or soft soil

Sand Classifying Tank: Sorts sand particles

Screens: Separate differently sized particles

Dewatering Screws and Sand Washers: Further screens and washes sand

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