Sand and Gravel

Sand and gravel have long been used as construction materials, primarily as aggregate in concrete, as road base, or as fill. Sand and gravel production tonnage in Virginia ranked second in the nonfuel minerals industry after crushed stone. Sand and gravel are extracted from coastal sand pits, river terraces or dredged from the rivers themselves.

In 2003, a total of 279 sand and gravel operations in 55 counties/cities throughout Virginia produced 14.5 million short tons of material at a value of 82.4 million dollars. Market demand for construction sand and gravel is driven by the level of construction activity in an area. In Virginia, sand and gravel production has decreased 38 percent from its peak in 1990, but has remained fairly consistent over the past 13 years. Sand and gravel operations must produce large quantities of material in order to be profitable because it is a relatively low-margin commodity. Transportation costs largely control price, therefore most sand and gravel production involves local or regional markets near the point of use because it is not economic to transport the material great distances. Increasing competition from crushed stone operations, whose product can be sometimes substituted for sand and gravel, has also had an effect on demand for traditional sand and gravel products.

Sand and gravel production and value, 1986-2003.

Selected References:

Gilmer, A. K., Enomoto, C. B., Lovett, J. A., and Spears, D. B., 2005, Mineral and fossil fuel production in Virginia (1999-2003): Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Open-File Report 05-04, 77 p.

Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, 1993, Geologic Map of Virginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, scale 1:500,000.

Sweet, P. C., 1978, Sand and gravel resources in Virginia, in Contributions to Virginia geology: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Publication 7, p. 67-74.

Wentworth, C. K., 1930, Sand and Gravel Resources of the Coastal Plain of Virginia: Virginia Division Mineral Resources Bulletin 32, p. 1-146.