- Theoretical Instructor
With his lecture titled “Decorative Stones and Quarries”, he has been participating in the heritage restoration training program for over twenty years. - Mining Expert
He graduated from the Mining University in Petroșani, specializing in extraction (1969), and began working at the mineral exploration company, where he became an expert in shaft sinking and mine preparation. - Quarrying Experience
He worked for fifteen years in various quarries, including limestone, gypsum, and clay quarries, and planned and supervised massive detonations, with explosive charges exceeding 2000 kg. - Limestone Processing
At Vista, he dealt with limestone processing, overseeing the extraction, cutting, and installation of the limestone, gaining valuable insight into the art of stone carving.
Kálmán Szőke is a lecturer at the Built Heritage Conservation Training, delivering the course Ornamental Stones and Quarries. He has been involved in the training since the beginning, so for more than 20 years now.
He graduated from the University of Mining in Petroșani, specialising in extraction, in 1969. After his appointment, he worked at the company for mineral exploration and discovery, where he gained knowledge about the intricacies of mine preparation. As a result, he became one of the most skilled professionals in shaft drilling. Since he didn’t enjoy office work, with a few exceptional cases, he was directly involved in production.
Additionally, he worked for fifteen years in various surface quarries, in limestone, gypsum, and clay mines. Here, his responsibility was to design, approve, organise, and lead massive explosions. These involved detonating explosive charges of over 2000 kg, often exceeding 100 tons.
Eventually, he processed limestone from Viștea, extracting it, cutting it to size, and integrating it into constructions. This way, he also gained knowledge about the art of stone carving, a skill that proved very useful during his professional training courses on built heritage conservation, as he managed to collect several rock samples from various types of construction stone.
During his courses, students can understand the physical and chemical properties of different types of rocks and minerals, such as hardness, loss of strength after several freeze-thaw cycles, etc. Kálmán also considers it essential that, after becoming familiar with the basic theoretical concepts, students be also presented physical rock samples, along with their important characteristics from the perspective of stone carving.
