Construction Gravel Consists of 5 Types of Rocks

While you may know what construction gravel looks like if you saw it, you may not know exactly what constitutes it. Not all rocks count as part of gravel. Different rocks used in the gravel can impact the uses in the construction industry. Here are some important things to know about the rocks used.

Sandstone

Often used in buildings when unbroken, the lovely shades of sandstone from beige to brown make the stone lovely to use for accents in a garden or landscaping project. The rock dust or sand grains aggregated together to form the gravel. When bits of quartz are added, sandstone can take on a red or pink hue thanks to the iron oxide.

Limestone

Dolomite is often mined along with limestone and these two often combine to form a white or grey color. The rocks are often found together in gravel rather than separated. A quarry crushes them to various sizes after blasting the minerals from the ground.

Crimson Stone

Available in the southwestern United States, crimson stone comes in a variety of colors. Rather than being used in construction gravel, the beautiful colors are more decorative in nature. Pale pinks, reds, beiges and blacks often come mixed together.

Basalt

The volcanic rock comes in light grey to black. The lightweight, porous rock transports easily. Use the unique structure of the rocks to line walkways and gardens or another landscape project.

Granite

While popular in kitchen countertops, granite makes beautiful gravel as well. The quarry crushes the rocks to create smaller pieces of granite. The hard stone doesn’t reshape under pressure making for a great roadway or home foundation. The decorative colors work well in landscape design.

Choose one of these five types of rock for your construction gravel. The local availability of these rocks can work great for all types of projects from building a foundation to landscaping design to putting down roads. Find a local distributor to meet your gravel needs.