Reducing the cost of haul road ownership
HAUL roads can feel like a bottomless pit of expenditure for miners.
The trouble with haul roads is that most mines see them as only temporary, or at best semi-permanent, so roads are often built in a hurry, with minimal expertise, and a lot of shortcuts taken to bring them into budget.
As many mines have experienced firsthand, a poorly designed road will ultimately lead to premature failure, resulting in exorbitant maintenance and operational costs.
Furthermore, when building or repairing roads, the impact of short-term decisions upon the long-term operating costs are often rarely captured or understood.
As Australia’s leading provider of haul road management solutions, Dust-A-Side provides a unique, turnkey solution for haul road management.
Dust-A-Side Australia general manager Neil Hoskin believed many mines have not yet grasped the importance of implementing an integrated solution for managing haul roads.
“Think of a haul road as a living thing. Operating conditions can change from day to day,” Mr Hoskin said.
“Haul roads require a holistic approach to management and maintenance. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. If you do not do things correctly, then your operating costs are going to soar and your productivity levels are going to plummet.”
To help mine operators maximise the long term value of haul roads, Dust-A-Side has developed a revolutionary haul road condition monitoring and reporting software system called DASMetrics.
DASMetrics has been developed in conjunction with industry-leading experts who specialise in enhancing mine productivity.
It incorporates a scientific auditing process designed to ensure the continuous improvement of haul road quality as well as reduce the cost of road ownership.
Using state-of-the-art technology, the system remotely monitors, captures and reports on defects found on haul roads.
The system is customised for each mine site and provides a real time web based dashboard which allows users access to haul road conditions and reporting data at the push of a button.
The report shows a clear picture of the state of every haul road throughout a mine site. Management can then use the system to assign repair tasks to workers.
The real power of DASMetrics is derived from the algorithms built into the system that quantify the true value of the haul road conditions observed.
By reporting upon the real impact that haul roads in poor condition are having upon the likes of fuel, tyres and productivity, it means that mines are able to make more informed decisions about how best to enhance their operation.
Mr Hoskin said DASMetrics actively allows mines to achieve long-term haul road optimisation.
“By using the system to make incremental improvements, haul road conditions are more efficiently maintained,” he said.
“These continuous improvements lead to the likes of faster haul road cycle times, reduced water and fuel consumption, improved vehicle component life and reduced maintenance costs.
“It also means that we can benchmark haul road conditions on any mine site against global best practice.”