La Pierre Bleue de Wallonie S.A.
La Pierre Bleue de Wallonie S.A
There have been bluestone quarries in the province of Liège since the 19th century. Ouffet was the first district to begin exploiting Little Granite. Since the 1930s, blocks of quality Belgian bluestone, so-called ‘Little Granite’ have been extracted from the quarry located at Troydo.
History of the bluestone from the Liège Province
The deposit is exploited in an area of several hectares and has significant reserves. The exploitable capacity of a single deposit bed is about 30 metres.
The Little Granite in the region of Liège is solid limestone with a specific colour, steeped in history. The Little Granite deposits in the province of Liège have geological layers (dips) with a rigidity which can go from 40° to 90°, as opposed to other Walloon provinces where it reaches a maximum of 20°.
The Carboniferous period is characterised by layers of carbon which have left traces in the quarries located in other Walloon provinces, different from those located in Liège. These traces are called terraces.
The geological formation of the Little Granite goes back 350 million years, well before the dinosaurs and the appearance of man on earth. What’s more, in the Carboniferous period, the area currently known as Belgium was on the equator!
The history of use of Wallonia’s Little Granite makes it a reliable Belgian bluestone and this has been proven, contrary to some foreign limestone. Every professional in the sector is familiar with this bluestone and knows how to use it for interior or exterior uses.
It was in the second half of the 19th century that the bluestone quarries in Ouffet started to become recognised. In fact, this Little Granite was requested in numerous specifications in the construction sector. This quality limestone has since been widely sought and used for building projects.
It was in 1930 specifically that the Troydo quarry started its activity in Ouffet.