Slate rock mines: From formation to extraction

Abstract

Slate rock has been analyzed for more than 170 years and was among the first geological features to be used in a number of countries such as Spain, France, Wales, North America and Brazil. Early observations recognized the importance of slate into the construction of roofs, cladding, pavements, or roads. Natural slate has many features that make it one of the most valuable, versatile and sustainable construction materials e.g. slate waste is particularly used as an alternative to conventional aggregates. In this paper, I will review the slate rock, geological formation, mining, production and uses in construction. This paper gives the reader a comprehensive overview of slate geology, formation, extraction as seen in the light of all the vast body of work made there up to the present time.