How our customers manage stockpile erosion and dust

Using geosynthetics to manage stockpile erosion

Protecting stockpiles at your site is not only good environmental practice, but it also helps save you money. Jaybro has helped customers across a wide range of industries protect their stockpiles of material, by recommending a combination of both protective geosynthetic fabrics and dust suppressant sprays.

Using one or both of these methods across different areas of construction and mine sites has led to decreased wastage and decreased environmental runoff, as well as preventing dust from escaping the area.

Erosion and dust control for stockpiles - What's working in the field and how you can benefit

On-site stockpiles are an essential part of almost every operation in the civil construction and infrastructure industries. From small piles on commercial construction sites through to massive mine site stockpiles, it’s an important part of your operations to have soil, clean fill or other materials available when and where you need them.

Our customers report that managing stockpile erosion with geosynthetic fabric such as our mastaTEX Nonwoven is an effective long term solution. Using a physical covering is simple and straightforward and with the addition of weights around the base of the pile, it can remain covered and somewhat weatherproof. To avoid the geotextile being pulled off in high winds, it is recommended you use GEOmasta U Pins to secure the fabric in place.

This ensures that serious environmental issues do not arise: by keeping your material covered, less erosion from rain and wind will occur. This, in turn, prevents material from escaping into the stormwater network or being carried away gradually by the wind.

For an even more effective solution, we recommend the use of silt socks which are available in a 50m roll. Placing this silt trap around the perimeter of the stockpile will assist in keeping the material in the designated area, whilst still allowing rainwater to escape so it does not form a ‘moat’.

Key takeaway: Jaybro’s GEOmasta team recommends the use of a non-woven geofabric to cover stockpiles. This results in less erosion, meaning more material stays on site, saving you money in the long run.

How to suppress stockpile dust on construction and mine sites

Stockpile dust lifting off in strong wind can be an issue for everyone: the contractor, the surrounding community and the environment.

Traditional dust control methods include frequent watering of the piles, wasting a valuable resource and creating the need for a repetitive practice that is not a good use of time or money.

Water evaporates quickly in dry Australian conditions and therefore constant watering needs to be conducted to keep dust in check.

Jaybro’s GEOmasta team have worked with our customers to find a better solution that fits the needs of construction, mining and infrastructure contractors.

With financial and practical considerations in mind, our team have worked with reputable manufacturers to supply an economical and effective dust suppression formula. This unique product is making its way into mine sites, road construction projects and all kinds of other civil projects across the country.

Jaybro’s dust suppression agent, Road X2, is an environmentally friendly, non-corrosive engineered dust suppressant. It works to control stockpile dust by coating each soil particle, without creating a crust on the surface. Road-X2 is a much cleaner and safer alternative to magnesium chloride-based dust suppressants, and it is simply mixed with water and applied with any spraying equipment.

Some customers use this as an out of the box solution to keep stockpiles from being affected by wind. Although traditionally used on roads, dust suppression formulas like Road X2 can still be effective at managing stockpile dust.

Used for fill and soil on construction sites, and ore or tailings piles on mining projects, dust suppression sprays such as Road X2 last much longer than plain water. This means less frequent application and therefore cost savings in labour, water haulage at remote sites, and a lesser need for water cart hire and operation.

Key takeaway: dust suppression with water requires frequent application and evaporates too quickly to be practical in the long term. Use of a dust suppressant formula to keep stockpiles from eroding and being blown away makes good financial sense. A formula like Road X2 gives a great return on investment by ensuring critical stockpiles remain on site. It also helps contractors comply with environmental guidelines.

Save time and money with Jaybro: Get advice on controlling dust at your site

Jaybro’s experienced GEOmasta team can provide honest unbiased and obligation-free advice on how to best manage stockpile dust at your site.

Get in touch with Braden Light from our geosynthetics team to discuss dust suppression options for your particular project.

Braden Light | braden.light@jaybro.com.au