DomeShelter Australia’s engineered fabric structures are providing mining operations with durable and relocatable infrastructure solutions wherever they’re needed.
In the heart of the Pilbara, a 240m2 facility is helping to transform one of mining’s most challenging waste streams into sustainable resources.
The purpose-built tyre recycling plant processes more than 30,000 tonnes of end-of-life mining tyres per year, giving new life to massive off-highway tyres that once represented a significant disposal problem. And behind this operation’s infrastructure stands DomeShelter Australia, whose engineered fabric structures are proving their worth in one of the country’s most inhospitable industrial environments.
While DomeShelter Australia has built its reputation delivering workshops, maintenance facilities and bulk storage solutions to mine sites across the country, the company’s versatility extends well beyond traditional applications. From helicopter hangars to waste management facilities, these semi-permanent structures are solving infrastructure challenges wherever mining operations need reliable, relocatable protection from extreme conditions.
It’s a flexibility that’s becoming increasingly valuable as operations adapt to changing commodity prices, expanding footprints, and evolving environmental requirements.
Benefits for every operation
According to DomeShelter Australia technical solutions principal Bobby Fawkes, the dynamic nature of the mining industry creates unique infrastructure demands that traditional permanent buildings usually cannot address consistently.
“Mine sites are constantly evolving environments,” he said.
“Fabric shelters offer solutions that can adapt as quickly as the operations themselves without the commitment or cost of conventional construction.”
The semi-permanent nature of DomeShelter Australia’s structures makes them particularly suited to mining’s contract-based operations. Whether it’s a waste management contractor with a three-year agreement or a maintenance operation supporting a mine expansion, these facilities can be installed in weeks rather than months and dismantled at the end of the project just as easily.
“Instead of building full-scale permanent facilities that may outlive their usefulness, operators can deploy engineered shelters that meet Australian standards but remain relocatable,” Fawkes said. “When a contract ends or operations shift, the entire structure can be dismantled and relocated to another site or even resold.”
That flexibility extends beyond just relocation. The structures can be expanded as needs grow, allowing operations to scale their infrastructure in line with production demands without major capital investment or lengthy approval processes.
While workshops and storage facilities represent common applications, DomeShelter structures serve a range of diverse purposes for mining sites.
The company has supplied helicopter hangars for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) operations, ambulance shelters for emergency response teams, and paint blast facilities for equipment maintenance.
Heavy-vehicle workshops, light-vehicle service bays, tyre-change facilities and refuelling stations all benefit from the weather protection and operational efficiency these structures provide. Some operations use them simply as covered areas between accommodation blocks and offices, providing vital shade protection for staff.
“We’ve even supplied bus shelters and temporary warehousing,” Fawkes said. “Essentially, anywhere a mine site needs covered space for people, equipment or materials, there’s likely a DomeShelter solution that fits the purpose.”
And those sites in need of cover are often in some of the most far-flung places in the country.
Remote mining locations present some of Australia’s most punishing environmental conditions, demanding infrastructure engineered to withstand cyclonic winds, extreme heat and coastal corrosion. DomeShelter structures are designed and certified to meet these challenges, with each project fully engineered to Australian standards for its specific location.
“We use high-tensile hot-dip galvanised steel for the framework, and our Armourtex 400 fabric can handle temperatures up to 70°C while providing ultraviolet resistance for up to 20 years,” Fawkes said. “We pre-drill all fixing points before galvanising to ensure complete weather-proofing against coastal corrosion.”
The fabric itself offers a burst strength of 5300 kilopascals and maintains complete waterproofing even under torrential rain, while tear-stop technology limits damage propagation if the material is impacted.
Beyond operational flexibility, DomeShelter said its structures offer significant environmental advantages over conventional buildings. The reduced need for concrete foundations reduces carbon footprint, while the compact transport requirements mean lower fuel consumption when delivering to remote sites.
“Our polyethylene fabric is 100 per cent recyclable, unlike PVC alternatives that contain toxic chemicals,” Fawkes said. “At the end of its life, the entire structure can be dismantled with minimal site impact. There’s no concrete pad or deep footings left behind.”
Pilbara proving ground
The recycling facility in the Pilbara, run by Tyrecycle, offers a perfect demonstration of how these capabilities combine in practice. The 30x80m structure houses industrial-scale tyre recycling equipment in one of Australia’s toughest operational environments, where cyclonic winds, extreme heat, and salt-laden coastal air pose constant challenges.
Engineered for Cyclone Wind Region D (severe cyclones), the facility features three 6m sliding metal doors for heavy machinery access, integrated climate control through high-performance fans and air louvers, and custom guttering systems for water runoff management. LED lighting provides energy-efficient illumination throughout the facility.
“The structure needed to protect both equipment and workers from extreme conditions while supporting heavy-duty industrial operations,” Fawkes said. “It’s performing exactly as designed, even in temperatures that regularly exceed 40°C.”
The facility has processed thousands of tonnes of mining tyres, converting them into crumb rubber and tyre-derived fuel. The project represents a 10-year commitment backed by DomeShelter Australia’s warranty, with the company providing ongoing support to ensure the structure continues to meet the facility’s strict requirements.
“The new facility has been a game-changer,” Tyrecycle said. “It has made working conditions safe and comfortable, and we’ve seen a significant increase in staff satisfaction and productivity.”
With more than 8500 shelters installed across 50 countries during three decades of operation, DomeShelter Australia continues to refine its approach to mining infrastructure challenges.
Whether supporting waste management operations, providing maintenance facilities or protecting equipment and staff members from extreme conditions, the company’s fabric structures offer a proven alternative to conventional construction, where flexibility, speed and impact matter most.
This feature appeared in the November issue of Australian Mining magazine. Get 50 per cent off your Australian Mining annual magazine subscription during our Black Friday sale. Visit our subscription page and use the code: AMBF25. Ends on 27 November 2025.