A Precast Faced Mechanical Stabilized Earth Solution for a 20 Metre High Mining Crusher Wall with Various Technical and Site Challenges

Chadi Choufani, Peter Wu, Guy Gagnon, Matt Macintosh

In the proceedings of: GEO2011: 64th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 5th Pan-American Conference on Teaching and Learning of Geotechnical Engineering

Session: Retaining Walls

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a case study of the design and construction of a MSE wall at a remote mining site at Bloom Lake near Fermont, Quebec, Canada. The project at the time of completion in 2009 represented the highest precast load-supporting MSE structure by Reinforced Earth Company Ltd. Canada in mining application. The project faced several challenges. The steel strip reinforced earth wall was built straddling a cast-in-place reinforced concrete foundation and partially bears on re-compacted fill and bedrock. This required differential settlement design consideration. Design of the crusher wall also necessitated a load distribution concrete slab on the top to accommodate the significant surcharge and horizontal impact load from the 380 ton payload CAT797B haul trucks. Other constraints of the project were its remote location, wall geometry, cold weather backfilling operation and 24 hour installation.

RÉSUMÉ: Cet article présente une étude de cas le plus haut mur préfabriqué TMS de la Société Terre Armée Ltée Canada dans une mine. Le projet se trouvait confronté à plusieurs défis. Le mur renforcé par des inclusions métalliques, a été construit en partie sur une fondation en béton armée coulée en place et se portait partiellement sur du remblai re-compacté et sur le roc. Cela nécessitait de prendre en considération le tassement différential durant la conception. La conception du mur du concasseur nécessita une dalle en béton en haut du mur pour distdu camion CAT797B de 380 tonnes. Les autres contraintes du projet étaient remblayage à temps froid et le montage du mur 24h/24. 1 BACKGROUND The Bloom Lake Iron Ore Deposit is a 640 million tonne ore body grading approximately 30% Fe. Bloom Lake is a world class development stage iron ore project, with a high recovery and 30 year mine life based on a Feasibility Study completed in April 2007. Bloom Lake is expected to be producing 8 million tonnes of 66.5% iron ore concentrate per year starting Q1 2010. The Bloom Lake deposits are iron formations related to the Lake Superior-type. Lake Superior--type iron formation consists of banded sedimentary rocks of proterozoic age composed mainly of bands of iron oxides, magnetite and hematite within quartz (chert)-rich rock, with variable amounts of silicate, carbonate and sulphide lithofacies. Such iron formations are a major source of iron throughout the world. 1.1 The Project Figure 1. Site Location in Northern Quebec

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