Projects with a value between R250 million and R1 billion
Mareesburg Tailings Storage Facility (Phase 2) by SRK Consulting for Anglo American Platinum, Limpopo
PROJECT TEAM
Client: Anglo American Platinum Design & Construction Management: SRK Consulting Contractor: Stefanutti Stocks
S
erving the Mototolo Concentrator near Steelpoort in Limpopo, the Mareesburg Tailings Storage Facility (TSF)
is Anglo American Platinum’s first TSF to be built on a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner. The locally manufactured dual-textured HDPE liner was used in place of previously imported liners, requiring detailed analysis before acceptance. SRK Consulting (appointed to do the design and construction of the TSF) had to embark upon an extensive research and
testing process, while engaging with regulatory bodies. While it enhanced the environmental performance of the TSL, the inclusion of the HDPE liner also introduced a number of technical challenges that SRK was required to resolve in its design. Among the challenges was the lack of economically accessible clay material to create the layers beneath the HDPE liner, as normally required by environmental regulations. Testing revealed that the permeability characteristics of tailings from the plant were similar in important To ensure stability on this hillside facility,
of natural material. No commercial
rigorous testing was conducted on the
sources for such aggregate were locally
TSF site is generally steep, extending
liner strength, by a specialised laboratory
available. Therefore, the design included
from the base of a hill at an elevation
abroad. In response to a lack of suitable
the on-site manufacture of the requisite
of 1 077 metres above mean sea level
locally sourced and commercially available
sized aggregate from the mine’s waste
(mamsl) up the hill to a final proposed
material, the project created an alternative
rock facility. These drains were selected
elevation of 1 190 mamsl. This variability
granular material from mine waste rock.
as a safety risk mitigation, in place of
respects to clay, and this was used instead. Furthermore, the topography of the
of the geology affected the founding
The client required an alternative to
more common plastic drainage systems,
conditions for the structures and sourcing
plastic pipes in the drainage system,
due to the concern of their long-term
of construction materials.
leading SRK to design drains and filters
deformation and failure.
C E S A A o n E n g i n e e r i n g E x c e l l e n c e Aw a r d s 2 0 2 1
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