El Mauro tailings dam
Tailings dam
This is the dam where residue from the mining exploitation process is deposited.
IV Region, Chile
We took part in the project to expand the Los Pelambres copper mine by building the pipelines for the El Mauro tailings dam.
of parallel pipelines.
workers at peak of construction.
msl - average altitude of the works.
El Mauro tailings dam
Start date
End date
engineering labor hours
Contract amount
Start date
End date
engineering labor hours
Contract amount
| Customer | Minera Los Pelambres |
| Scope of work | EPC |
Market Segment
Mining
The pumping system uses carbon steel pipes internally lined with rubber and polyurethane, and a centrifugal pump, which runs off an electric motor of approximately 3,700 HP, to drive the treated and recovered water back up the slope. Techint carried out the earthworks, civil works, and the assembly of structures, piping, and electrical works as well as assembling the instruments, controls, equipment and boilers.
Find out why we are recognized for our excellence in pipeline installation.
The Choapa Valley lies in the foothills of the Andes, near the town of Ramadilla, in the Los Vilos Commune.
Latitude
Longitude
May 2006 - December 2007
Tailings dam
This is the dam where residue from the mining exploitation process is deposited.
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Header system
To build the filtering plant, Techint undertook the largest continuous concrete pouring exercise in its history. Hundreds of mixer trucks lined up to pour concrete during 24 straight hours for its construction.
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Sieving
The sands are filtered through a sieve with a mesh opening of 1.5 mm. and subsequently mixed with water.
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Pumping system
The pumps send the slurry through the pipeline. The tailings flowing through the pipeline are 45% water and 55% solids.
October
2018
Crossing mountains
Part of the tailings pipeline route travels along tunnels which burrow through large mountains. There are 8 km of tunnels along the entire route, built in such a way as to prevent the tailings from flowing through the pipes too fast.
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Speed
The flow of tailings in the pipeline must be constant and steady as any increase in speed could erode the steel.
June
2019
Archaeological heritage
Choapa Valley’s archaeological heritage as one of the most significant pre-Colombian sites in Chile had a considerable impact on the work in its early stages, and this resulted in several delays. Archaeologists and researchers took part in excavations to recover pieces and remains discovered during the soil removal stages which were identified as belonging to a community that had inhabited the area over 700 years earlier.
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The slope
La pendiente mínima del ducto debe ser de 7mm cada 10 metros. Lograr esta inclinación con tramos de tuberías que pesan entre 120 y 140 toneladas resulta todo un desafíos.
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