Site report

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The University of The West Indies St. Augustine CVNG 1005-Science of Materials Site Report- ReadyMix (W.I) Limited

Name: ID:

Karl Todd 811003451

Instructor: Dr Mwasha

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Summary Readymix (W.I.) Limited was founded in 1959 by Readymix Concrete U.K., the largest concrete producing company in the world at that time. The company was then called Trinidad Readymix Concrete Company Limited. Operations began at Laventille and the company’s geographic expansion started in 1962 when batching plants were opened in Guanapo and Harmony Hall. In 1962, the company also began its sand and gravel operations at Melajo, Valencia from where it started supplying its plants and other customers with aggregate.

Introduction
Aggregate is the solid particles that are bound together by the cement paste to create the synthetic rock known as concrete. Aggregates can be fine, such as sand, or coarse, such as gravel. The relative amounts of each type and the sizes of each type of aggregate determine the physical properties of the concrete. At Readymix we were introduced to the mining process of these aggregates and subsequent conversion into concrete.

Mining Processing The mining aspect of the Readymix’s operation is primarily a san d and gravel operation . In order to begin mining in this particular area Readymix had to meet the government’s regulatory and legislative requirements. The first step in that process was to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which assesses the destruction predicted on the land. In the EIA Readymix was required include their plan to return the land to as close as possible to its virgin state. After the EIA was accepted the government then issued a Certificate of clearance (CEC), which outlines strict guildlines that the company must adhere to

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during mining, to ensure that they do not pollute surrounding lands and water sources. After that the company was issued a mining license. Before mining the company determined if it is economically feasible to mine the land. In order to determine that the company carried out exploration. During exploration the company determined the amount of minerals in the area by drilling bore holes or test pits. After this the company moved onto deforestation, which is removing all of the vegetation, and from there they capped the land, which is removal of topsoil and clays in order to expose the surface of the mineable materials. Processing Next in the process is excavation which utilizes bulldozers for dry excavation and drag line excavators and water pumps for wet excavation in order the retrieve the sand and gravel form below the water table. After excavation, next in the mining process is transport and haulage, utilizing trucks able to traverse on rough terrain. After the sand and gravel is extracted it is washed and put into a scrubber drum/ a vibrating screen to separate sharp sands from coarse materials. The materials are then washed again and graded and finally the sand and gravel is stored outside to allow rain to wash to aggregate again. The aggregate needs to be washed in order to remove silts; the less silt in the aggregate is the higher quality the concrete. During the process about 98% of the silt is removed. Before the sorted material can be used for aggregate. The organic levels in the soil are tested on a scale from 1-5 using a ph tester. According to ASTM 40 only aggregates with a ph level between 1-3 can be used in concrete. Aggregates above that level will cause aesthetic issues in the concrete and may cause the concrete not to strengthen as it should. Aggregate is then combined with cement paste and admixtures to create cement. The process is carried out using software called Command Alkon. It is important to not that the admixtures are stored in different color drums to prevent unwanted batching. Reforestation After all the minerals have been extracted, Reclamation and Reforestation must be put into action in order to return the land to as close as possible to its virgin state. This is done by introducing a leguminous plant to the area. Leguminous plants
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have nodules on their roots that produce usable nitrogen compounds to allow the plant to grow and when the plant dies the fixed nitrogen is released making it available to other plants and helps fertilize the soil. The fallen leaves and legumes create a mulching effect on the soil, inviting earthworms and other organism to the area. Concrete is the single most widely used material in the world and Readymix WI Limited is one of the many companies provides the much needed raw materials for the construction industry.

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