Aggregates Production Plants

1. Product Description:- aggregate is crushed stones of different dimensions used widely in the construction industry. It is one of the inputs in the construction of buildings, dams, roads and other civil engineering works. In buildings and dam construction aggregate is mixed with sand and cement to make concrete, and in road construction, aggregate is mixed with sand asphalt for road surfacing. Size of aggregate or crushed stones range from 80-60mm to 5- 2.5 mm.

2. Rationale:- Similar to other parts of the country, the Amhara Region has been experiencing some expansion in the volume of construction works during the last few years. This has increased the demand for construction materials- one of which is aggregate or crushed stones. In the two or three major urban centers of the Region, there are small units of aggregate production plants of which some belong to the city administration. These plants do not have sufficient capacity to meet the growing demand for aggregate. Bahir Dar, aggregate is beling produced manually. Construction activities in Amhara Region will expand because what is constructed is negligible compared to the need. Hence, it leat 3-4 medium sized aggregate plants in will be needed in the Region.

3. Market Potential:- Compared to its size, the Amhara Region is the least constructed and built region in the country. The need for additional public and private buildings (schools, health centers, offices, factories, garages, stores, shops, etc. and additional civil works (roads, dams, irrigation canals, etc) is obvious if one visits Amharaland. Even for the present level of construction activity, part of the demand for aggregate is met by manual production which can not produce the type of aggregate (in terms of dimensions) that the construction industry needs. This indicates that there is unsatisfied demand for aggregate in practically all parts of the Region.

4. Source of Raw Material:- The raw material are rocks such as basalt, landsite, hard sandstone, hard limestone or rocks of similar properties. These stones are found in practically all parts of the Region.

5. Production Process & Technology:- Major machinery and equipment needed are single toggle crusher, cone crusher, vibrating screen and vibrating grizzle feeder. Main process includes (a) getting stone or boulders from quary sites (sometimes explosives are used), (b) crude and medium crushing on a crusher (c) crushing the stone for grain forming and (d) screening. In between the processes of explosion, crushing and screening and the storage, there run conveyers or belts to transport the material from one stage to the next.

6. Estimated Investment:- In many countries, the smallest unit of an aggregate plant is one which produces 50 tons per hour, cost machinery and equipment for this production volume is about 4.5 million. But in the Ethiopian context, production capacity per hour could be lower which entails lower investment cost. For this project idea, we have assumed an investment cost about Birr 1-1.5 million.

7. Benefits to the Regions Economy:- accelerates the expansion of the construction industry, creates employment, utilizes the resources of the Region.

8. Location:- Any urban center where construction activities warrant the establishment of an aggregate plant.