Drill & Blast

Luck Stone Corporation (LSC) is the nation's largest family owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel. At their plant in Leesburg, Virginia, Luck Stone Corporation acquired a new quarry, which is located to the West of Goose Creek river. An inter-quarry tunnel was constructed to link the existing South-Eastern pit with the new West pit. The tunnel's cross section is approximately 45 feet in diameter, and the tunnel's length is approximately 1275 feet. The tunnel crosses the Goose Creek river approximately 50 feet beneath. The excavation method was drill and blast in hard rock (diabase).

Luck Stone Corporation (LSC) planned to open a new quarry on the Western side of Goose Creek river, a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. A tunnel was envisioned to connect the new Western quarry with the existing South-Eastern one below the river. The rock cover between the tunnel and the river was approximately 50 feet. The tunnel is 1275 feet long with a diameter of 45 feet. It is designed to accommodate large scale mining trucks as well as a conveyor belt for material transport which is scheduled to be installed in the future.

The Pajares Rail Tunnel is part of the new Leon-Asturias High Speed Rail Line, and with a length of 25.7km one of the longest tunnels in the world. The project encompasses twin 10m dia. TBM hard rock tunnels, bifurcation chambers, cross passages, and emergency stops. The tunnel is lined with a pre-cast segmental lining made from high-strength with a thickness from 50 to 60cm. The connection between the access tunnel and the main tunnel requires the construction of a large-span Bifurcation Chamber and a short mined tunnel.

Devil's Slide is located south of the City of Pacifica in California along the coastal road of Highway 1. Landslides and grade subsidence in the Devil's Slide area along Route 1 have led to the road being closed for extended periods causing significant economic loss to the surrounding communities. The solution: Construct a tunnel through the mountain to bypass the dangers and reoccurring problems. Construction of 1250m twin tunnels, 9m wide, 6.8m high using Sequential Excavation Method (SEM). Additionally, drill and blast and roadheader excavation through weathered rock utilised.