The CNRL Horizon Oil Sands Project is located approximately 75 km northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Geoquest Canada was assigned to design two Reinforced Earth walls adjacent to each crusher at the two ore preparation plants. These walls facilitate the dumping of run-of-mine ore from hauling trucks into the receiving hoppers at an average rate of 6,000 tonnes per stream hour of oil sand.
Typically, the hopper, apron feeder, and crusher are housed within a single structure, positioned against a retaining wall within the crusher pit. Beneath this structure, the main feed conveyor is installed to transport material away from the crusher.
The retaining wall is designed to support the crushing plant and associated conveyors, which move the ore out of the pit. It must also bear the weight of large mining trucks as they back up to the edge and unload oil sands into the dump pockets.
As the crushers are periodically relocated, a permanent structure is not required. Therefore, a wire mesh-faced retaining wall was selected as a cost-effective and lightweight alternative to concrete, which can be both expensive and difficult to source in northern Alberta. Common backfill materials include sand, gravel, and lean oil sands, all of which must provide sufficient structural stability.
Wall specifications:
- Total area: 8,667 m²
- Length: 508 m
- Maximum height: 19.9 m
- Design live load: 50 kPa
To know more about our wide range of engineered solutions that have proven to be the perfect fit for resources and industry sectors:
