Karystos Schist and Mining Methods
Slate is a rock that has the property of being split in parallel planes, in the trade natural slabs, irregular and squared, are available in various thicknesses, sizes and forms depending on the species, mining and processing. In Greece, slates occupy large areas, but quarries are located only in special quarry areas. For the exploitation of the deposits, the work is developed with the identification, the access works, the disposal of the sterile materials and the gradual extraction of the deposit in open steps. The configuration of the tiers starts from the highest points and progresses successively towards the lowest.
The characteristics of the excavation are determined by the Quarrying Regulations, while the applied method is adapted to the current geomorphological conditions and the characteristics of the deposit, always with the safety of the work in mind and the protection of the environment. The first stage is the demarcation of the part of the deposit to be exploited and the selection of the location, from where the equipment will be accessed and the mining process will start. Next comes mining, where we usually use explosives in combination with mechanical equipment to remove the large volumes.
This is followed by the movement of the lumps to the initial processing area and the removal of the sterile materials from them and from the mining fronts so that we can later descend to the lower layers. Then begins the slicing of the tumors into smaller slabs of marketable dimensions and their initial sorting. The final stage includes the quality sorting and processing of the rocks. This process takes place in industrial processing facilities. After the end of each mining project, restoration programs are implemented without delay, restoring the local ecosystem to its original state.
