The Firenzuola Stone Quarries of Brento Alta
Firenzuola stone quarries
Brento Alta
The Brento Alta quarry is located in the Brento Sanico stone quarry basin, in the Firenzuola area, 800 metres above sea level. The stone quarry is made up of 70,000 square metres of mining claims and 25,000 square metres of quarrying area, with an annual extraction of 40,000 cubic metres, of which 8,000 are decorative Pietra Serena. The most advanced and sophisticated systems used in the quarrying activity guarantee the best stone quarrying results, the highest safety standards and the least environmental impact. In addition, the organisation system guarantees a constant supply even in the case of great demand.
The Querrying Activity
The extraction of Pietra Serena is organised in several stages. In open-cast stone quarries, the first step is to remove the upper layers of soil. The useless overburden is then removed by means of excavation methods or explosives. Once the valuable layer is exposed, the next step is to work the stone quarry. Some splitting machines make cilindrical holes, which are then filled with explosives and water. The extracted material is then sorted, selected and transported to the factory.
The waste is taken to a designated landfill and later reused for urban reclamation, embankments, river banks, containment works, stone chippings and stabilisers. This delicate operation requires special vehicles and dump trucks.
