louhittavaa

Louhittavaa is a Finnish term used in geology and mining to refer to rock material that is suitable to be quarried, or the portion of rock intended for quarrying. It describes the quarryability of materials rather than indicating a specific rock type, and it applies to products such as construction aggregates and dimension stone.

The word is formed from the verb louhia, meaning “to quarry,” with the suffix -ttava, which signals potentiality or suitability. In practice, louhittavaa appears in phrases such as louhittavaa kivilajiketta or louhittavaa massaa, signaling material that can be extracted commercially.

In mining planning, determining louhittavaa material involves assessing rock type, structural conditions, strength, and blastability, as well as economic viability and environmental constraints. Geological surveys evaluate thickness, distribution, and the presence of faults, joints, or weathering that affect extraction and stability of the excavation faces.

Common quarryable rocks include limestone, sandstone, granite, marble, and other construction stones. The degree of quarryability varies from easily quarriable to difficult or uneconomic, depending on factors such as hardness, fracture density, and the stability of rock faces during extraction.

Extraction methods for louhittavaa material range from drilling and blasting to mechanical cutting and sawing for dimension stone operations. The term is widely used in Finnish geological reports and quarry planning to distinguish material intended for quarrying from rock that is not suitable for extraction or already processed.

See also: quarry, quarrying, rock mechanics.