Current pain points of mining roads
Dust emission, potholes, mud pumping
uType One Solution: Using asphalt or cement to harden the pavement Solution
uType Two Solution: Simple gravel and sand roads, maintained frequently by water spraying
Is there a third type of solution?
Type One:Asphalt or Cement Road
Type Two:Gravel and Sand Road
Type Three:Original Flexible Membrane Road
1. The Importance of Road Quality in Mining
First repair the road before repairing the vehicle; a good road is better than a good vehicle,this is a saying often mentioned by mining transport owners.
pFuel consumption accounts for 35-40%
pTire replacement costs account for 10 - 13% (directly related to pavement smoothness and amount of water spraying)
pLabor costs account for 10 - 15%
pEquipment maintenance and parts costs account for 5-7 % (excluding tires)
pDirect and indirect costs of road repair and maintenance account for 0.5-1.6%
pThe quality of the road directly and indirectly affects transportation efficiency by approximately 6 % or more.
2. Problems with the first two solutions
The first solution is to use cement and asphalt roads.
1 Advantages: Smooth pavement, wear-resistant, long lifespan. Low daily maintenance costs, no need for frequent water spraying and maintenance.
2 Disadvantages: High construction costs ( 40-100 USD / Square meter), slow construction speed, not suitable for vehicles over 100 tons, and extremely high
repair costs once damaged; The dust emission from the transported topsoil is difficult to integrate into the pavement, leading to more severe dust emission,which cannot be resolved.
The second solution is to use locally sourced gravel and hard soil
pavement, requiring daily extensive water spraying and maintenance.
1 Advantages: Utilizing local mining soil and stone resources, materials are sourced on-site, allowing for rapid construction, easy modification, easy maintenance, and easy restoration; low investment with quick returns; suitable for various large vehicles' compaction.
2 Disadvantages: Severe dust emission on sunny days, muddy conditions on rainy days,impacting the environment, health, and efficiency. A large amount of water must be
sprayed daily, and continuous maintenance of the pavement is required. In arid regions, the cost of water spraying and maintenance accounts for more than 1% of
operational costs.
Are there any solutions to the above problems?
The first type of asphalt cement road is too expensive and not suitable for heavy load vehicles. It can be used in some long-term fixed routes where environmental
protection is permitted, funding is sufficient, and there is no heavy load.
The second type is locally sourced earth and stone road, which is low-cost and easy to construct.
Is it not possible to use a large amount of dust suppressant?
Generally, dust suppressants are not effective. The currently popular moisture retaining dust suppressants lose their dust。 suppression function within 1 day at high
temperatures of 30-40 degrees, with ground temperatures approaching 60 degrees.
Is it feasible to spray a large amount of water?
Large-scale water spraying is even less effective; in open-pit mines primarily located in Xinjiang, under high temperatures, large amounts of water generally vaporize within 1 hour or even within a few minutes. In winter, extremely low temperatures can easily lead to ice formation and slipping.