The EU’s aim for circular economy and resource efficiency underpinned by the application of modern exploration technologies for ornamental stone sector in the EU

Transferring know-how to SMEs – achieving safety and resource efficiency

Sustamining (FP 7 project)

The SUSTAMINING project contributes to an improved natural stone sector in Europe. Cutting-edge exploration technology can be used in the natural stone extraction to reduce costs and increase the competitiveness of the sector. It increases safety on site by reducing unexpected cave-ins and reduces drilling. It allows for non-invasive determination of the stone quality and hence a more selective extraction which reduces wastes.

It addresses therefore the following EU’s objectives of the Circular Economy and Resource efficiency package:

• the zero-impact mine/quarry  by reducing unnecessary extraction and reducing waste;
• increased resource efficiency;
• increased competitiveness of the ornamental stone sector;
• increased safety on extraction sites;
• transfer of innovation to other subsectors;
• transferring innovation from large operations to SMEs.

The partners of the SUSTAMINING project were 

• DEUTSCHER NATURWERKSTEIN-VERBAND E.V
• FEDERATION DE L'INDUSTRIE MARBRIERE ER DE L'INDUSTRIE GRANITIERE DE LA CEE – AISBL
• EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF MINING INDUSTRIES, METAL ORES & INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AISBL
• FEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE LA PIEDRA NATURAL
• NATURSTEINE-VERBAND SCHWEIZ

Service providers:

• ASOCIACIÓN EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN CENTRO TECNOLÓGICO DEL MÁRMOL Y LA PIEDRA
• ASOCIACIÓN PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO INDUSTRIAL DE LOS RECURSOS NATURALES
• MINERAL INDUSTRY RESEARCH ORGANISATION

SMEs piloting the methodology

• HITUSA TAS VE MADENCILIK SANAYI VETICARET LIMITED SIRKETI HITUSA
• BRECCIA AURORA SRL
• CANTERAS PENIDO SL

The project ran from 2013 to 2015 and held several meetings in the various partner countries. The pilot measurements and assessments were done in Spain, Turkey and Italy.

The technologies used were Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and the Reflexion Seismic Method. The possibilities and limitations of these methods were tested and assessed and their usefulness in quarries of ornamental stones demonstrated. Using these methods in various combinations allows for the un-invasive identification of faults and qualities of the stone. If applied consistently and as a whole across the quarry the methods allow for a much more precise determination of the quarry’s reserves.

The technology is available, but its application requires a certain expertise when applying it in the field and the interpretation of the data requires in depth knowledge of ornamental stone qualities.

More information on http://www.sustamining.eu/