Mining

Geotextiles are permeable technical textiles that are used in a variety of civil engineering and construction applications, including mining. As the mining industry is a very important industrial sector, it is important to optimally manage mining operations and lower the environmental impact. In mining, geotextiles are used to separate, filter, reinforce, and protect different layers of soil and rock and minimize the environmental impact of mining operations and provide cost-efficient solutions for the specific challenges faced.

One common use of geosynthetics in mining is in lining the walls and bottoms of waste and tailings ponds to prevent seepage and erosion. Heavy duty nonwoven geotextiles can serve as a protection layer of such a lining membrane, preventing contamination of the local environment. The geotextiles or specific drainage composites can also act as a drainage layer to help remove water from the tailings pond for further treatment or dewatering.

Several geosynthetic solutions also further improve the mining operation. Reinforcement products can be used to reinforce slopes and walls in the pit, reinforce access roads and other structures, improving the safety of the mining operations and improving overall efficiency of the site. Geotextiles can also be used as separation layer between different soils and materials, improving access road and railway stability. Additionally, the use of geotextile reduces the thickness of the granular layers thus lowering the cost of construction.