Exploitation and Environmental Reclamation of a limestone deposit

Client: Limestone quarry owner
Location: San Felice a Cancello – Campania (Italy)
Date: 2007

The project aimed at the reclamation of an hill slope subjected to the extraction of limestone, through the morphological reshaping of the slope and the optimization of limestone deposit’s exploitation.

 Project Goals

• Optimization of deposit’s exploitation;
• Environmental reclamation of the hill slope interested by limestone extraction.

Activities performed

1. Regulatory and cartographic framework analysis;
2. Assessment of alternative exploitation and reclamation solutions;
3. Tasks scheduling and resource management;
4. Economic and financial investment analysis;
5. Environmental impact Assessment.

Technical data

Cultivation method: Benches
Reclamation plan: Reforestation
Duration: 8 years

Two alternative reclamation solutions have been considered:

• Full morphological reclamation of slope hill
• Partial morphological reclamation of slope hill

Three alternative design solutions have been studied and compared:

1. Full reclamation of hill slope and excavation using hydraulic hammer;
2. Full reclamation of hill slope and excavation using drill & blast technique;
3. Partial reclamation of hill slope and excavation using drill & blast technique.

 Technical, Economic and Financial outcomes

Partial hill slope reshaping – Before

Partial hill slope reshaping – After

Full hill slope reshaping – Before

Full hill slope reshaping – After