Dewatering pits can be a time-consuming and difficult operation, with excess water having to be pumped up an incline. Enter the Waterlord layflat hose.
Using layflat hose for in-pit dewatering has recently been shown to be an efficient method at a large mine in Western Australia.
Waterlord layflat hose deployed by the Hamersley reel system from Crusader Hose proved to be a labour- and time-saving way for the mine operators to move excess water.
During a recent trip to the Pilbara, Crusader Hose managing director Francois Steverlynck got a first-hand look at how well the Waterlord Rapid In-pit Dewatering System performs.
In what was a challenging operation, the relative ease and speed of installation, safe handling, and efficient use of mine operators demonstrated the system’s efficiency.
Transferring water from deep pits to the ring main often proves challenging. The Waterlord system has been specifically designed to increase pumping efficiencies and safety benefits when moving water out of deep pits.
“The key advantage of using Waterlord layflat is its flexible nature,” Steverlynck told Australian Mining.
“When comparing rigid pipe systems with Waterlord, this flexibility makes Waterlord truly unique and means it is often the best way to safely establish the pipelines from inside the pit up to the ring main.”
Called to the large mine for his technical expertise, Steverlynck assisted in the operation of installing the dewatering system from deep inside the open-cut pit.
The flexible layflat hose was easily laid down the rugged high pit wall with the use of rope. The Waterlord hose pipeline was unwound at the top and pulled down the wall by driving a 4WD inside the pit.
Approximately 10m of hose on flat ground at the top of the pit provided enough stability for the pipeline to remain securely in place without any tendency to fall down the wall. The Waterlord system was connected to the ring main, providing high-volume pumping as required.
“Many of the operators were impressed by the simplicity of the layflat system,” Steverlynck said. “They acknowledged how much harder and riskier it is to install a poly pipeline.
“Traditional poly pipelines can be more cumbersome to handle, heavier and generally require anchoring at the top of the pit to ensure it does not slide down to the bottom.
“Those who saw it said that they were impressed at how layflat hose can handle the pressure and pump water up high pit walls.”
The benefit of using the Waterlord hose does not stop there. As the pit extends and the bore pump is moved, the mine operators can easily relocate the Waterlord pipeline within the pit to connect it to the next bore. The Hamersley reel system helps to make this handling quick and easy.
Layflat hose from Crusader Hose is designed to be durable and reliable. The weaving technology constructs a textile reinforcement that can withstand very high pressures, while the tough polyurethane cover can withstand rough use.
As an example of this toughness, users can drive a 4WD along the length of the hose to empty the water. A sling can be wrapped around one end and the empty hose can then be dragged into the new position.
The expanding nature of many open-cut iron ore mines requires dewatering planning so the ore can ideally be excavated in a dry state.
“This required constantly moving pipework and reconnecting,” Steverlynck said. “Waterlord layflat hose has proven to be an efficient and effective product.”
With secure couplings that can be fitted on-site, multiple lengths of Waterlord can be cut to exact lengths and assembled in the pit.
Crusader Hose has several reel systems affording particular benefits and limitations, and in the same way mining projects differ, so too do the systems offered the company has on offer.
This feature appeared in the March 2023 issue of Australian Mining.