Evaluation of the quality of a granite quarry

The determination of the quality of a mass of granite with a view to its exploitation for ornamental purposes is carried out by means of the identification of the geological, geotechnical and aesthetic factors that characterize the granite. In order to draw up an optimal exploitation method for any given granite deposit, an assessment of the relationship existing between these factors and the quality of the block is of the utmost importance. Using as a starting point, data based on the observation of these factors at an extraction bank, a simple linear index was elaborated using multivariant techniques, permitting the classification of each block in terms of quality. Subsequently, using geostatistical techniques, the index is applied to areas of the extraction bank for which there are no a priori data, with a view to predicting possible areas of maximum quality. ed is a description of an application whereby the quality of a granite quarry was evaluated on the basis of 569 observations at an extraction bank. The methodology developed may be considered an objective quality evaluation method applicable to ornamental rock quarries.