Development in the conurbation of Victoria, BC, on the south east corner of Vancouver Island, has benefited from having many good quality sand and gravel pits in the immediate vicinity. Over the years, many of the pits have become depleted and, while undeveloped deposits of sand and gravel near Victoria still remain, these now cannot be accessed because of encroaching development and land-use zoning changes. The local demand for aggregates continues to increase as the population expands in the overall Capital Regional District (CRD). The aggregate supply and demand in the CRD has been studied over the past 15 years and the changes in the types of materials and the sources of production have been observed. These studies show a major shift to aggregate production from sand and gravel pits to quarry sources, an increase in the use of recycled Portland cement concrete (RPCC) and asphalt concrete pavement (RAP) in aggregates, and importation of increased volumes of aggregates from outside the CRD. This paper describes the trends in aggregate supply in the CRD and its implications for future aggregate production.
Abstract