Over 20 million tonnes of high performance aggregates will be mined and processed over the life of the Saint Lawrence Wollastonite Deposit. These performance aggregates are approved for use in high strength/durability concretes, HL1 superpave hot mix asphalt applications, as CN Class 1 railway ballast stone, and in environmentally sensitive waterfront and gabion stone applications.
Superpave Hotmix Asphalt Stone
In 2011, Canadian Wollastonite’s (CW) ortho-gneiss ore was certified by the Ministry of Transportation for Ontario (MTO) for use in major highway surface construction. This ore is approved as an FC1 and FC2 DFC/Superpave and SMA friction aggregate and is listed on MTO’s “Designated Sources for Materials”.
CW’s ortho-gneiss is advantaged over many of the other sources in Ontario in that it is the province’s southernmost approved source of FC1 and FC2 aggregate.
Railroad Ballast
CW produces class 1 and 2 railroad ballast stone and is well located to support the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa corridors.
Concrete and Concrete Asphalt Stone
The tough and strong ortho-gneiss produced by the mine is appropriate as an aggregate for high-friction and high-strength applications of asphalt and concrete. The low freeze-thaw loss of CW’s gneiss adds to its value as a performance aggregate for tough weathering conditions.
Rip-Rap and Gabion
Other high-strength and friction applications for CW’s ortho-gneiss include rip-rap, rock protection, and gabion stone.
The photo below shows a typical riprap application.
