Innovation in Mining and Metals

Mining and metals professionals strive to shorten project schedules and lower operating costs through improved access to mission-critical information. The projects in this category used technology to demonstrate both short-term and long-term benefits that increased the efficiency of capital projects associated with the engineering, construction, and operations of mines and metals processing and refining plants.

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Winner

Hatch Africa (Pty) Ltd
QMM Ilmenite Project
Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

Before construction of the $900 million ilmenite mining operations could commence in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, Hatch Africa had to design and build extensive ancillary services and infrastructure including a port and power station and road, water supply, and communications networks. Apart from logistical challenges, the Madagascar environment posed challenges for protecting flora and fauna.

Despite mounting obstacles—from supply shortages to periodic cyclones—the Hatch team achieved interaction and cooperation among all parties. Hatch improved workflows and reduced costs by deploying Structural Modeler (formerly Bentley Structural), PlantSpace, and Bentley Navigator. Streamlining the 2D drawing delivery process also expedited steel fabrication and improved the critical path schedule for construction.

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Finalist

Anglo Coal SA, New Vaal Colliery
An Integrated Geospatial Solution for Mining
Three Rivers, South Africa

Controlling costs for a 20-million-ton-per-year coal mining operation in South Africa requires statistical evaluation of multiple databases. Anglo Coal required a system to link spatial information to various databases to allow analysis of possible outcomes based on changing variables. Because most of this information was inextricably linked to the Survey Department, a three-phase project was implemented.

In Phase 1, the project team selected MicroStation GeoGraphics and Microsoft SQL as the standard information repository and manipulation tool, with a primary focus on linking production data with spatial referencing. The second phase is enhancing fixed and dynamic reporting and integrating with Bentley Geo Web Publisher to make the tool web-enabled. Phase 3 will incorporate all disciplines that influence operations and decision making.

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Finalist

PDC Consultants
BHPB Rapid-Growth Project Newman Hub
Perth, Australia

BHP Billiton retained PDC Consultants to provide mine information modeling with intelligent 3D review models and shop detailing for more than 8,000 tons of mechanical and structural steel and associated platework at the Newman Hub near Perth, Australia. The expanded mining operations will include a car dumping facility, crushing and screening plant, coarse ore stock pile, stockyard, train load-out facility, 12 conveyors and transfer stations, and associated infrastructure.

ProSteel was used to model and detail complex mechanical items, including bins, curved trusses, transfer chutes, and liner systems. By enabling collaboration across the project lifecycle, the software helped reduce the estimated modeling and detailing man-hours by 10 to 20 percent and allowed PDC Consultants to exceed the client’s aggressive schedule by finishing three to four months earlier than expected.

Watch the Be Inspired best practice presentation