Quarrying case study: Rosa Portugal marble in Vila Vicosa, Portugal
A major challenge for area quarriers is to open new levels on closed quarry floors. Overburden, deep erosion and fractures at the surface of the deposits make a deep quarry more economical and attractive in this region than a wide and shallow mine. Therefore, opening new levels and the need to extract blocks from closed levels and benches play a major role in successful and economic quarrying of Rosa Portugal marble. A closed quarry floor in a space-confined deep quarry can become a headache, and lowering it one more level is a major challenge. Time-consuming drilling work was done, and blasting was also used on occasion, often damaging and wasting considerable amounts of the precious marble, yet not achieving the desired level floor.
Additionally, widening the quarry area and creating rooms and tunnels deep in the quarry is made easier, as the chainsaws can cut directly into the walls horizontally and vertically.