GHAGHOO SAND TUNNEL | Proyectos | Redpath Mining Contractors and Engineers

Regresar

Cliente:

Gem Diamonds

Lugar:

Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

Duración:

21 Months

Alcance del trabajo:

Servicios especializados

Redpath completed the development of a sand tunnel at a re-commissioned diamond mine located in an exceptionally remote area.

A decline tunneling method using a specially designed 96-ton Open Face Tunnel Shield was used to develop the sand tunnel at - 8° inclination.

With the ore body located below 80 m deep desert, Redpath tunnelled through the sand to reach the rock basalt. Deploying a technology similar to what was used to develop the London Underground Railway System, mine workers operated within the shield to move the tunnel forward segment by segment.

While this technology may not be new, it has never before been used in unconsolidated sand or at a decline. The project was an unprecedented world first at 6.1 m in diameter by 473 m in length.