RCR-7® | Mine Tailings Pond

Over 120,000 ft² of Reinforced Concrete Roll® was installed safely, rapidly, and without any enhanced training or specialty tools. The length of this slope was roughly 106 feet (32.3m), and the angle was approximately 2:1. Installation did require a crane and spotter, as the crane lowered the product for unrolling from behind the berm on the dry tailings pond, nearly 20 vertical feet below the top of the berm.

Alternatives considered included a geomembrane liner and traditional concrete. Geomembrae was ruled out in favor of the customer's need for a more robust option to provide erosion control. This option was also bypassed for potential construction delays in the high-wind area and the potential for repeated future repair. Traditional concrete was ruled out as a solution due to increased cost and difficult installation based on the slope angle and length.

Site challenges for this large project included inclement weather (snow and excess rainfall); however, due to the ease of application, the budget and timeline remained intact.

Given the lenthg of the slope of 106 feet (32.3m), and length of the rolls ~65.4 feet (20m), roughly 1.6 rolls were required from the top anchor trench to the bottom anchor trench. The joint connecting the two rolls was created approximately one-quarter of the way down the slope, overlapped ~1 foot (.3m), with the top edge of the bottom RCR® being pinned in place using 6" long U-pins, spaced every 3 feet (1m). The anchor trench at the top was 2' deep and 2' wide, set back ~3'. The bottom anchor trench was 2' deep and 2' wide. The sides were also terminated using an anchor trench 2' deep and 2' wide.

Although this project was budgeted for 23 working days, the entire installation was completed in less than 20 working days. This includes lost time due to equipment issues, high winds, rain, and snow.