You can say that concrete and asphalt helped usher in the modern era. Without it, the world’s greatest modern cities wouldn’t have been possible. And yet, concrete and asphalt also wouldn’t exist without something that seems mundane: gravel.
These crushed pieces of rock act as aggregate (additive) to concrete and asphalt mixes. Aside from keeping production costs down, they also help in strengthening both products and making them more durable. To various firms in the construction industry, these rocks are gold. This is why Resource Development Experts aims to help and teach land owners how to find sand and gravel deposits on their properties.
Knowing how to find gravel pits starts with understanding where the rocks come from. Geologists define gravel as any loose rock larger than two millimeters, but not larger than 63 millimeters. They are products of natural erosion of bigger rocks. Today, people even resort to breaking bigger rocks to create gravel.
Gravel deposits can be found anywhere in the world. As previously said, much of these rocks are products of natural erosion. Big rocks get broken down gradually with constant exposure to the elements. This process is more profound in bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, and oceans.
Finding natural gravel deposits also require knowledge of how they formed and what they look like. There are different types of gravel, a few of which are as follows:
- Bank/bank run gravel: the most common type of gravel. When acquiring this type of gravel, you have to be wary of clay, sand, and silt being mixed in.
- Bench gravel: found on the side of a valley above a currently existing stream, bench gravel is formed when the stream bed receded to a lower level.
- Creek gravel: as the name implies, creek gravel can be found on creek beds or in areas where a creek used to exist. Constant water flow in the area eroded bigger rocks and caused gravel to pile up.
- River gravel: another self-explanatory name, river gravel is formed in the same way as creek gravel. Rocks are often smooth and rounded because of constant exposure to water.
- Piedmont gravel: coarse gravel that came from elevated locations via rushing mountain streams. As a result, Piedmont gravel deposits are common in flat lands where water runs slowly.
What if natural deposits don’t yield much gravel? The answer is simple: make them. Gravel is basically just crushed rock, so look for big ones and crush them. This method of acquiring gravel produced new classifications of the material. For instance, there’s pea gravel (washed rocks the size of peas), crushed gravel and crushed stone. The latter is an interesting one: often made of crushed limestone or dolomite. All natural and crushed products are classified according to size using meshes.
Finding natural gravel deposits is what we do at Resource Development Experts. We also do it better than most. Not to mention, we are connected to industries that require an abundant supply of gravel. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your property, we are reachable at 1-866-222-0850. Give us a call today.
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