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Prefabrication is revolutionising health, safety, and environmental protection

by Media Xpose

By Erik de Jongh, Engineering Lead at TDS Projects Group

October 2024: Even as the global mining industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices and meet zero-emissions targets by 2050, it has also been tasked with improving health and safety standards. Amidst these challenges, there is one key solution that is often overlooked: prefabrication.

Notably, prefabrication involves the construction of key components in controlled environments, where quality control is stricter, and risks can be managed with greater precision. This reduces the need for extensive on-site construction work, while lowering the likelihood of accidents and project delays. This further means that mining companies, which often operate in unpredictable environments, can significantly streamline their processes, cut down on waste, and limit workers’ exposure to hazardous on-site conditions.

Likewise, by manufacturing components off-site in controlled environments, prefabrication minimises on-site construction risks, accelerates project timelines, and reduces material waste. So, while not a new concept, prefabrication and modular design practices have rapidly gained in popularity in recent years.  

Efficiency, safety, and sustainability

Additionally, off-site workshops offer access to essential equipment like cranes and other tools that may not be readily available on-site, particularly in mines. And, by fabricating off-site, prefabrication companies such as TDS Projects effectively sidestep the challenges of piecing together complex structures in high-risk areas, limiting any uncertainties and controlling the variables. This circumvents enormous logistical difficulties, especially in underground operations where space is limited and extra modifications may be expected, while leaving little room for accidents to happen.

Furthermore, combining prefabrication practices with modular designs makes the transportation and assembly of components much easier, decreasing the time workers spend underground and minimising disruption to ongoing operations. This approach therefore supports higher safety standards while ensuring continuity and maximising productivity.

Moreover, pre-assembling components substantially reduces material waste, as offcuts and excess material can be managed more efficiently in a controlled factory environment. As a result, this approach helps mining companies reduce both costs and their environmental footprint, directly impacting long-term profitability and bottom lines.

Underground challenges and limitations

However, underground mining operations present some unique challenges, particularly when transporting large, prefabricated components. Where this task may not be much of an issue for above-surface operations, it becomes infinitely more complex when conducted deep beneath the Earth’s surface, as modules must fit through tunnels, shafts, and other narrow spaces which are typically no wider than six metres at most.

The key is designing prefabricated modules in a series of manageable sections, usually around three or four metres in length, that can be easily transported and assembled in confined spaces. For instance, TDS Projects often builds conveyor system components like stringer and gantry sections that can be utilised underground.

Another invaluable addition to restrictive underground mining operational areas is the use of modern prefabricated containerised motor control centres (MCCs) that play a critical role in managing and distributing power efficiently to operate electrical equipment on site. These MCCs are designed in compact, modular sections, which allows them to be easily transported through narrow underground shafts and tunnels. They can also be swiftly assembled and connected, reducing the need for extensive on-site work and ensuring minimal disruption to operations.  

One such MCC option that TDS often recommends is the E-House Containerised IP65 enclosure with either top or bottom entry. With air-conditioning, pressurisation, and two-hour fire rating and suppression systems, these containers are less vulnerable to dust, humidity, and water exposure. The containers are also easily configurable to meet specific requirements and have the added benefit of significantly reducing maintenance frequency and complexity.

Modular prefabrication further allows for meticulous planning of each stage of the production and installation process. Instead of attempting to work around site limitations or modifying parts in a hazardous environment, the controlled workshop environment offers greater flexibility and precision. Every detail of the components can be tested and verified before the parts are moved to their destination, ensuring seamless assembly on-site. This approach also cuts down on unexpected modifications, which are both time-consuming and potentially dangerous in an underground setting.

But ensuring quality design and construction under such strict limitations is no easy task, which is why prefabrication solutions providers have become such essential partners to the mining sector in recent years. Their highly qualified and experienced engineers and tradespeople are helping mining companies achieve their environmental, health, and safety goals, while streamlining operations and improving profitability.

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