Tanami Gold Mine Hopper Upgrade
- Project: Gold Mine Paste Plant Hopper Upgrade
- Sector: Mining & resources
Mechanical and structural engineering for a brownfield hopper upgrade designed to accommodate larger loading equipment and achieve the required paste plant throughput.
Project overview
Fraser-Lever provided mechanical and structural engineering for an upgrade to Newmont’s paste plant hopper at Tanami.
The project was driven by the need to increase plant throughput using a larger front-end loader. The increased reach of the loader created a risk of contact with the existing hopper and its supporting structure, requiring a redesigned hopper arrangement together with a new access ramp and wheel stop.
The upgrade needed to accommodate the larger loading equipment while integrating with the existing footings, retaining wall and loading slab.
Fraser-Lever’s role
Fraser-Lever was responsible for the mechanical and structural design of the new hopper and feeder arrangement, access ramp and wheel stop.
The scope included preparation of full Issued for Construction (IFC) drawings and onsite supervision during installation, ensuring the design was correctly implemented and achieved the required performance.
The engineering challenge
The project presented two key engineering challenges.
The first was integrating the upgraded loading arrangement with existing infrastructure. The new hopper and wheel stop needed to suit the existing footings, retaining wall and loading slab while accommodating the larger loader. The wheel stop also needed to withstand the increased loading and be suitable for installation during a plant shutdown.
The second challenge was achieving reliable material flow through the hopper and into the feeder. Hopper geometry and the interface with the feeder were critical to avoiding material hang-up, bogging and feeder interruptions.
Engineering in practice
Fraser-Lever developed a steel wheel stop structure incorporating a purpose-designed anchoring system to accommodate the larger loader while working within the constraints of the existing infrastructure.
For the hopper and feeder arrangement, Fraser-Lever’s principal mechanical engineer assessed material flow characteristics using empirically derived material properties to inform the design.
Key design considerations included the hopper geometry, outlet divergence angles, hopper half-angle, cut-off gate and liner selection. These were critical to achieving reliable material flow and avoiding feeder blockages.
The completed installation achieved the required feeder throughput without bogging or material hang-up.
Project outcomes
The installation was completed, and the upgraded feeder achieved the required throughput without bogging or material hang-up.
The project demonstrated Fraser-Lever’s ability to combine mechanical and structural engineering to resolve brownfield infrastructure constraints while delivering the required operational performance.
Key outcomes included:
- Completed installation of the upgraded hopper and associated infrastructure.
- Feeder performance meeting the required throughput.
- No reported material bogging or hang-up.
- Improved operational performance and reduced risk of damage to infrastructure.
Upgrading your materials handling systems?
Talk to Fraser-Lever about practical mechanical and structural engineering for existing plant upgrade.