Nic Matich & Blake Stacey | Mobile Crisis Construction
Theme: Tailings repurposing that results in a step change in existing tailings volumes
Title: Repurposing tailings, minimizing volume, creating building blocks
 Project team: Â
- Mobile Crisis Construction
- Real Material Solutions
- DWA Structural Engineering
- LabWest Minerals Analysis
Offering to sponsors:
An ESG opportunity to reduce tailings volumes by creating building materials for community housing. Mines are provided with the technology to create building blocks and a process for building houses.
Project summary:
The project uses tailings to create interlocking building blocks and pavers that can be used by communities surrounding mine sites.
Mobile block-making facilities can be installed in remote areas almost anywhere in the world. The tailings can also be used by the mine site for paving or laydown areas.
It is a collaboration between a charity and mining suppliers, and includes a mineral analytics specialist to manage the chemical requirements. While the project may not suit all tailings, the charity has successfully manufactured interlocking blocks from lithium hydroxide production waste from the factory in Kwinana, Western Australia. It has also used glass, plastic, clays, rocks, and crackerdust, among others.
The charity is seeking partners for overseas crisis response.
Benefit to industry:
Social licence:
- Providing housing and construction materials for local communities struggling to meet infrastructure needs and costs
Economic:
- Recycling of a waste material for infrastructure needs (e.g. blocks & pavers).
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