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The article discusses the decrease of the estimated production of frac sand in the U.S. in 2015 compared in 2014. It notes the oversupply of oil and natural gas which has led to the decline in frac sand usage. It also highlights the recommended specifications for frac sand set by trade organization American Petroleum Institute and the International Standards Organization, including the content of silica or quartz grains, grain size, and crushed resistance.

The article discusses the industry for construction aggregates, which are defined as materials of mineral composition such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, or slag which are used in bituminous and portland cement concrete, mortar, plaster, and other building materials. Topics include the mining industry for crushed stone as a construction material, a report in 2012 on the consumption of crushed stone in the U.S. construction industry, and federal regulation of rock types in aggregates.

The article focuses on the production and sale of construction aggregates in the U.S. in 2013. It states that sand, gravel, crushed stone, and some recycled asphalt and concrete comprise much of construction aggregates and comments on rock types which meet specifications for different types of aggregates. It mentions blasting, dust, noise, and wetlands and safety issues have been mitigated for most industries and talks about acquisitions of existing quarries and sand and gravel pits in the U.S.