Granite Has Opened Its Solari Aggregate Plant In Arvin, Calif., A 1,000-tph Facility. That Replaces A Depleted Granite Facility.
By Mark S. Kuhar
Granite has opened its Solari Aggregate Plant in Arvin, Calif. Solari will safely and sustainably provide aggregate and asphalt to private and public customers in the Bakersfield market, the company stated.
The Solari 1,000-tph facility replaces a depleted Granite facility near Arvin. The new 700-acre plant will produce 70 million tons of additional high-quality reserves for the Bakersfield market. Designed with efficiency and sustainability in mind, automated plant controls maximize the plant feed rate and crusher production.
A new wash plant produces concrete aggregates while minimizing the demand for fresh water with its engineered three-stage water management system. Both variable frequency drives and plant automation, which staggers large motor startups, reduce the facility power demand.
“The new facility is Granite’s 77th materials facility,” said Vice President of Construction Materials Brad Estes. “We’re excited to open another top-notch facility supporting Granite’s vertically integrated business in the Bakersfield market.”
Exploration of the Solari Aggregate deposit began in 2006, permitting began in 2008, and facility construction began in September 2019. Aggregate production began in December 2020 and asphalt production will begin during the second quarter of 2021.
The plant features a number of innovative equipment installations.
The company is extracting raw materials with a D10 Dozer to a Dozer Trap. Loadout is taking place with two Cat 982 Loaders.
The Solari plant features a Cedarapids jaw crusher; two Sandvik CH660 cones and a Symons 4.25-ft. cone.
Material is screened over two Deister 8 x 24-ft. incline screens and two JCI 8 x 20-ft. finish screens.
The plant also features a Superior blade mill and an Eagle Iron Works twin sand screw.
Distributor for the operation was Aggregate Crushing Specialists Inc., a Lake Elsinore, Calif.-based equipment and parts distributor for the aggregate, mining and construction industry, as well as Superior Industries.
Granite’s construction materials business stretches across the western United States and specializes in aggregate plants, asphalt plants and recycling operations, which supply external customers and support Granite’s vertically integrated business.