Documenting the Historical Use of Taconite Byproducts as Construction Aggregates in Minnesota – A GIS-based Compilation of Applications, Locations, Test Data, and Related Construction Information

Abstract

Aggregate shortages are causing increasing concern for population centers across the country. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s taconite mining industry generates over 125 million tons of mining and processing byproducts annually that hold aggregate potential of traprock quality. Materials such as blast rock, coarse crushed rock, and coarse tailings (collectively known as Mesabi Hard Rock™) have been staples of northeastern Minnesota road construction for over four decades. Infrastructure is already in place to move these materials to markets throughout the country to augment local aggregate resources. Because these highway construction applications are not widely known outside of northeastern Minnesota, this study was undertaken to: 1) document how and where taconite byproducts have been used; and 2) assemble related test data. Letters, interviews, site visits, and searches of archived records were the primary modes of data collection. The product is a project report with a stand-alone Microsoft Access (or Excel) database and an ArcView GIS product containing mappable Mesabi Hard Rock™ usage locations with accompanying data. Topics that users can query include byproduct type, location, application, date, authority, and contact person. With such information, users can determine the applicability of this resource to their own projects.