Mining haul road design and documentation.
Case study: civil design of a 11 km mining haul road for a Pilbara iron ore mine extension — pavement design for 240 t haul truck loading, drainage in cyclonic catchment and dust control to AS 2890.
Project overview
ASTCAD designed an 11 km haul road extension at a Pilbara iron ore mine, connecting a new pit area to the existing crushing facility. The route crossed two cyclonic ephemeral creek systems and required pavement design for 240 t haul truck axle loads — the heaviest in commercial mining service.
The challenge
Standard pavement design methods do not extend to 240 t haul-truck loading. The route also crossed two creek systems in Region D cyclonic catchment, requiring culvert structures capable of passing 1% AEP flood without overtopping. Construction had to occur in a phased shutdown of the existing haul road.
Our approach
- Mechanistic-empirical pavement design for 240 t loading
- Subgrade improvement design where weak material identified
- Cyclonic catchment hydrology with culvert design for 1% AEP
- Geometric design for haul truck swept paths and grade limits
- Phased construction methodology minimising mine downtime
Deliverables
- Civil drawings — pavement, drainage, structures
- Pavement design report with traffic loading analysis
- Hydrology report and culvert structural design
- Construction methodology and phasing plan
- Maintenance specification for ongoing operation
Outcome
The haul road was constructed in two phases over a 9-month period. Pavement performance after 18 months of operation is on design — no significant deformation or remediation works have been required.