Brazilian Mining Area Uses Smelting Slag for Retention Dam, Reducing Costs by Approximately $12 Million

en.Wedoany.com Reported - At the Onça Puma mining area in Pará, Brazil, a project using steel smelting slag as a substitute material for constructing a sediment retention dam has verified the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of this solution.

The project aims to replace traditional aggregates with sustainable raw materials, reducing dependence on natural sand and gravel resources. In addition to lowering investment costs by approximately $12 million through the use of in-house equipment and optimized logistics, this solution also promotes engineering practices in the mining and metallurgy sectors under the concept of a circular economy.

Replacing traditional aggregates also brings savings in raw material and transportation costs. By utilizing the return capacity of ore transport trucks, smelting slag is loaded during the return trip, thereby reducing operational costs and optimizing the fleet.

During project implementation, the smelting slag was first crushed and stockpiled (using a Cat D9 bulldozer), followed by screening and particle size classification to ensure the material meets aggregate usage requirements, guaranteeing its uniformity and technical performance. These processes were verified through laboratory testing.

The processed material was loaded by a Cat 988 loader onto Scania G540 70-ton trucks and transported using the return capacity of ore transport.

During the construction of the retention dam, pre-screened and transported smelting slag was used, following compaction and structural stability standards. The project also included structural monitoring, as well as technical performance and environmental impact assessments.

This project demonstrates that the integration of the steel and mining industries can create logistical and environmental synergies, promoting engineering practices that meet sustainability needs.

This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com