Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/685011
52 www.resourceworld.com J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 1 6 MININGWORLD W hen it comes to valuing explora- tion projects, accessibility is a huge factor. It is one of the first ques- tions that comes up when determining the viability of a project. What is the ground like? Where is the nearest paved highway? How much will it cost to build an access road? How about roads on the project? Can you get around year round? Do you need to use helicopters to go from camp to drill pad? Diamond Grid, an Australian owned company, has come up with an innova- tive and elegantly simple product that cuts the cost of surfacing and resurfacing roads, yards, shed floors or any other area where a surface solid enough for all types of vehicles is required while significantly reducing maintenance. Diamond Grid is an interlocking grid – think honeycomb – with a multi-layered drainage system that drains water from the surface, reducing erosion and eliminating compaction of the substructure. The company states that, "Diamond Grid is the leading surface stabiliza- tion grid in Australasia, proven to work throughout some of the leading mines in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Canada and Latin America." The prod- uct is manufactured from 100% recycled polypropylene. It is UV-stabilized, easily relocated and easy to install. Diamond Grid creates a surface that is solid, dry and secure, even with constant use and in heavy rainfall. The grids are extremely durable, with a filled load-bearing capacity of over 1,000 tonnes/m 2 . They will not wear through, even with constant use. Diamond Grid has a wide variety of applications across farming, landscaping, mining and civil engineering industries. Installation is pretty simple. Once a surface is leveled and topped with geo fabric the interlocking Diamond Grid is laid down and filled with rock, bitu- men, concrete or sand. When used as a reinforcement structure and filled with concrete, costs are can be reduced by 60% as with the grid, the concrete depth required is only 40 mm. BHP had issues maintaining access roads to a standard safe enough for water trucks and 4WD vehicles to access the drill sites on a daily basis. When heavy rainfall occurred the road base was washing away and creating large potholes and drainage channels throughout the road. With the implementation of the Diamond Grid the road surfaces are now solid and provide a safe and efficient access road for all vehicles, no matter the monthly rainfall. diamond Grids: • Prevent natural earth surfaces from developing into muddy unusable areas in wet weather. • Prevent surface erosion, potholes and corrugation. • Reinforce turfed areas, providing root protection. • Enable gravel retention and stabilize embankments. • Provide drainage when filled with gravel. Mining companies can also use the Diamond Grid system for mine plant paths, plant floors, yard surfacing, air strips and creek crossings. n diamond Grid: making inroads in mining by Kathrine Moore Gravel fill being spread over Diamond Grid's interlocking system to provide a stable surface on a worksite yard. Photo courtesy of Diamond Grid.