Haul roads play an integral part in any mining operation and should be viewed as a linear asset. Haul roads can be used over 300 times a day to transport materials. A well planned and well-maintained haul road translates into greater productivity and prolongs the life of equipment. Currently, truck haulage expenditures can account for up to 50% of surface mining operational costs. Poorly designed haul roads increase these costs exponentially and often lead to premature failure, faster road deterioration rates, increased rolling resistance, lower productivity, higher fuel consumption, and lower tyre life resulting in excessive maintenance and operational costs. Traditional approaches to dust control such typically lead to overwatering, the need for additional grading, and increased incidence of uncontrolled haul truck movements. We measure how the GRT: Haul Loc system adds value to your mining operation offering you long-term value for your haul roads.
In this article, we take you through GRT’s haul road dust suppression using GRT: Haul-Loc and we evaluate its application and benefits.
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Manufacture of GRT: Haul Loc (Australian Made)
GRT: Haul-Loc is a specially formulated liquid polymer added to watering trucks used to reduce water required for continuous dust suppression by at least 50% and extend the dust suppressing effects many times longer than water alone. GRT: Haul-Loc is designed specifically for the conditions of the mining and resource sectors and can be applied using existing site water trucks, tankers, or sprinklers. GRT Haul-Loc binds surface dust particles both to themselves and to the road surface, and creates a dust-free layer resistant to heavy traffic wear, wind erosion, and rainfall impact. GRT’s supply chains are secure as we produce our mining products in Australia. The different areas of application for GRT: Haul-Loc include:
- Haul Roads – suppresses dust on unsealed haul roads while saving you water and truck utilisation expenses.
- LV roads – LV networks can be managed effectively using GRT: Haul-Loc, providing dust-free surfaces for 1-3 days at a time.
- Cleared or Untrafficked Sites – mitigates the impact of dust on worker safety and condition of plant and equipment.
- Environmental Management – mitigate the impact of dust on the surrounding environment and on communities.
GRT: Haul Loc – Logistics to the site
GRT: Haul-Loc and our SMART (Sustainable, Mining, Autonomously, Reporting, Technology) Dosing Units can be ordered direct from the GRT marketplace the product is supplied and stored in a minimum of 1,000kg intermediate bulk containers (IBC’s), either singularly or several networked together to improve efficiencies. for larger operations, we recommend networking at least 5 together (acts a single, 5000L tank) and this would serve a standpipe for extended periods (depending on the site and number of fill points). We can also supply bulk storage tanks (>20,000L) with a SMART dosing unit integrated, that can be refilled by a tanker.
What GRT engineers do prior to application of GRT: Haul Loc
When conducting a haul road dust control operation, each and every component is important, down to the smallest detail. Good haul road construction and maintenance practices are a key part of operating a cost-efficient fleet of trucks. Understanding the weather patterns is crucial for the GRT team. Support and quality is a key part of the system. GRT provides engineered solutions, supported by our staff to ensure site has a site specific solution. This involves product, dosing units, training for truck drivers, awareness sessions, as well as advice on setting up water truck spray patterns and practices to maximise benefits. For instance, excessive rainfall requires the mine haul roads to be constructed to properly drain and handle water to reduce pavement infiltration, ponding, erosion and potholing – leading to production downtime. Advice on road design, materials chosen, construciton methods, as well as the set up and use of plant such as water trucks and graders can also be provided.
Application of GRT: Haul Loc as a spray-on product
Haul road maintenance is key to keeping high production levels. GRT: Haul-Loc is automatically dosed into water trucks used for dust control. This engineers out the need to handle the product. With a GRT: Haul Loc system the results in open cut compared to water is that dust control in the height of summer you achieve +2 hours water alone whereas water alone will really only deliver 10 to 20 minutes dust suppression. A 110KL water truck may do as many as 18 loads/day to keep up over a 24/7 period. Utilising the GRT: Haul-Loc system, this should reduce to 7-9 loads. Using the correct haul road dust suppression product could result in great operational improvement and massive cost savings. Reports indicate that a mine site uses 9.4 million litres of water per day on just its haul road activities. Water is not only unsustainable but also very ineffective as a haul road dust control method. The SMART dosing units not only deliver the GRT: Haul-Loc reliably and accurately, they enable you to measure these savings and continuously monitor road conditions as they can be integrated into the Integrated Remote Operations Center (IROC) of the mine.
What are the benefits of using GRT: Haul Loc?
GRT: Haul-Loc is compatible with different haul road wearing courses. It works through binding the fines (which can become airborne dust) both to the ground and to each other. This holds them down, and also makes the particles heavier and drop out of suspension. The benefits of using GRT: Haul Loc include:
- Cost-effective dust suppression ~ $1.35 / m2 / year for product – this cost is significantly outweighed by the water truck savings achieved.
- Reductions from 18 loads per 24hr day to 8- 9. Nighttime and winter application may only be required once or twice.
- Water, fuel, wear & tear savings.
- Dust suppression easily integrated into current site practices.
- It frees up water truck drivers to hotseat other equipment – driving efficiencies.
- LV roads have been seen to last 1-3 days.
- Improved visibility of mining haul roads on site
- Reduced dust-related challenges and issues.
- Improved air quality and safety for all workers and nearby communities.
- Reduced impact of on-site equipment
- Increased transit speeds for all vehicles.
GRT SMART Dosing Units
GRT’s Australian Made SMART dosing units have been developed to accurately and autonomously dose the GRT: Haul-Loc into the water, typically at the standpipe although we can supply truck mounted models. Most mines opt for solar units at the standpipe, due to the lack of power available, and the safety considerations. The latest SMART dosing units include telemetry which acts as a data and control hub. Beyond accurate and automated dosing functions, the units also deliver:
- An autonomous mine compatible system
- Water consumption (and savings)
- Number of water truck fills per chosen reporting period (shift/week/month)
- Water truck efficiency
- Product levels and dosage rates
- Operational data on the pumps and power units
Our Haul-Loc technology helped clients reduce water consumption by at least 65%. Get your copy of the free report.
Let GRT help you to get the best ROI on your haul road
Speak to our General Manager, Daniel Grundy to find out how we can help you achieve the following:
- Protecting your haul road as a valuable asset
- Reducing fuel, tyres and other running costs
- Reduce downtime as a result of haul road maintenance
- Stabilise and seal haul roads
- Minimise dust challenges on your haul road
- Ensure best practices to control dust and make water work for you.
