Mining
Accessing resources effectively & efficiently
The mining industry has historically been a highly productive and profitable industry. While still one of the world’s largest industrial market sectors, recent times have created a challenging environment, and long-term strategies are critical for continued viability.
The mining industry depends on site operational designs and solutions that meet safety and practicality requirements while reducing costs. And that’s exactly what Tensar geogrid technology offers, with lightweight, easy-to-handle products that are quick to install and outperform conventional alternatives. Tensar has the answer for both surface and underground applications.
Haul/Access Roads
Haul and access roads are vital to the operational efficiency of mines worldwide. Weak subgrades pose the greatest challenge to the performance of an unpaved access or haul road. Left untreated, a weak subgrade subjected to continuous heavy traffic will quickly deform, causing the road surface to rut, pothole, “washboard,” and ultimately deteriorate beyond use. Tensar geogrids are designed to reduce construction-induced or in-service stresses applied to weak subgrades. Geogrid and aggregate interlock to create a mechanically stabilized layer (MSL) to evenly distribute the load, increasing bearing capacity and ensuring longer-term stability and performance.
Working Surfaces
Tensar geogrids can also be used to reduce the required aggregate thickness at crane and working platform locations. The locations where large equipment is traversing or loading/unloading often present the greatest challenge to avoiding subgrade failure. In these areas, multiple layers of Tensar geogrids can be used to strengthen the aggregate section. The stiffened aggregate results in an enhanced load distribution beneath the large static and dynamic loads imposed by the heavy equipment. This increases the factor of safety against a bearing capacity failure in the subgrade.
Walls & Slopes
Retaining walls for mining sites must be designed to be durable with the ability to carry heavy loads and repeated traffic for many years. Tensar’s full line of wall and slope solutions featuring Tensar uniaxial (UX) geogrid address grade separation and earth retention needs on and adjacent to coal, mineral, aggregate, and other mining sites to keep operations running safely. Tensar geogrids are 100% polymeric and enable structures to be built using a wide range of backfills, including recycled materials.
Underground
Tensar mining systems offer a wide range of cost-saving solutions to meet the needs and objectives of mining operations. Among the proven applications are roof and rib control, and longwall shield recovery screens. Tensar mining geogrid, teamed with Minex™ Rock Mesh, provides effective roof and rib control for soft minerals as well as the most demanding hard rock and tunneling applications. Tensar mining grid meshes are impervious to acidic environments and have very similar strength characteristics to steel, but at a fraction of steel’s weight. Lightweight, easy-to-handle Tensar mining systems easily reduce installation and material handling time by up to 75%. Flame-retardant Minex Rock Mesh maintains similar weight characteristics to Tensar mining grid yet is over eight times stronger with increased flexibility.
Rail
Poor track geometry and a loss of vertical and horizontal alignment of the rails are two major reasons for line speed restrictions and track maintenance work. These can significantly affect schedules as well as being expensive and disruptive to correct. With Tensar geogrid, it’s possible to reduce the costly maintenance of trackbeds or even save on trackbed construction cost. By reducing the required trackbed thickness, Tensar geogrids can save up to $30,000 per linear mile of track. Over the long term, Tensar geogrids preserve the integrity of the trackbed structure by confining the ballast and sub-ballast layers. This typically extends the period between maintenance operations by a factor of three to five times.
Heap Leaching
Heap leaching is used at many mining sites to extract precious metals and copper compounds from ore. Since significant amounts of ore are required to produce the precious metals, collector pipes experience very heavy loads. Tensar geogrids can be used to effectively confine the particles above and between the pipes. Geogrid supports the heavy equipment used in the process as well as providing a greater bearing capacity for the leach pad.
Capping
Remediation treatments of mine tailings lagoons can be costly and environmentally challenging for a mine owner and operator. Tensar geogrids enable safe placement and compaction of fill material when tailings or other industrial waste deposits are capped. Since the design and construction of successful capping projects are directly related, Tensar does not currently offer standalone design support related to capping tailings lagoons. The success of a lagoon cap is very much a function of experience-based installation techniques. Tensar referrals are available to professionals who are qualified and experienced in the design and construction of tailings lagoon caps.
Mining Products & Systems
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