Designing a Reclaim System, Providing Structural Solutions to Achieve Intended Capacity

Our client hired a competing firm to design a truck dump system that would allow haul trucks to drive on an earthen ramp, supported by retaining walls, over a hopper. A failed retaining wall during construction forced the client to install a temporary reclaim system, reducing the mines operating capacity.

We repurposed a truck dump hopper as a surge bin for the feeder breaker. Our design used a new drag chain reclaim feeder with a dozer push wall to feed the hopper, installed on driven pipe piles to transfer the load through weak soils. We also designed a new bin feed conveyor, allowing the system to function as originally intended.

The new reclaim system is now fully integrated into the existing system and is delivering material to the power plant. Salas O’Brien managed the entire turnkey project, supplied equipment, and subcontracted construction.