Barrier Interface Stabilization
Challenge
Heap leach pads are considered the highest lined fills in the world. The stability of the ore lifts is critical in order to avoid potential downhill heap failure. Stacking more ore faster enables faster returns, however, high loads and harsh chemical environments provide limited pad liner interface stabilization options.
The stabilization of the pad liner/overliner interface with chemically resistant geosynthetic reinforcement materials provides opportunities to stack ore lifts higher while maintaining the stability and integrity of critical interfaces. HUESKER offers engineered geogrid or geotextile reinforcement solutions which are proven to have high chemical resistance and long term stability.
Advantages
- Increase liner interface stability
- Faster stacking of more ore leading to greater and quicker returns on investment
- Chemical resistant raw materials contributes to pad liner longevity
- Increases heap leach pad site safety
Challenging geographical mine locations often require valley fill heap leach pads which are constructed in rugged terrain. Significant earthworks operations are required to construct and prepare steep slopes including the required barrier layers. Barrier systems exposed to permanently high ore loads and/or potential seismic activity adversely impacts the barrier system performance and longevity.
Our geosynthetic engineering experience and capabilities enables the design of project specific solutions to enable the decoupling of loads from the heap leach pad barrier system. Geosynthetic reinforcement solutions which reduce or eliminate ore load transfer to the barrier system contributes to critical barrier system longevity and improved seismic interface stability.
Advantages
- Decoupling the barrier system from the ore loads
- Enabling steeper slope construction
- Increasing ore stacking volumes
- Contributing to interface stability of barrier systems
