Dam Construction at Diavik using Bituminous Geomembrane Liners
The Diavik Diamond Mine is located in a region of continuous permafrost on East Island in Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. Following diamond extraction from the kimberlite ore, the remaining “Processed Kimberlite ” material is permanently stored in the Processed Kimberlite Containment (PKC) Facil...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.525.8912 http://www.soprema.ca/medias/communs/dam_construction_ diavik.pdf |
| Summary: | The Diavik Diamond Mine is located in a region of continuous permafrost on East Island in Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. Following diamond extraction from the kimberlite ore, the remaining “Processed Kimberlite ” material is permanently stored in the Processed Kimberlite Containment (PKC) Facility consisting of lined perimeter dams which are raised in stages throughout the mine life. The design and construction of the first three phases of the East and West Dams included an HDPE liner installed on sand bedding. Following experience gained on the site using bituminous geomembrane liner for construction of collection ponds, the design and construction of the fourth and fifth phases of the PKC facility dams were changed to use a bituminous geomembrane liner. The bituminous geomembrane liner allowed for a greater range of bedding material options and easier installation over a greater range of sub-zero temperatures than the HDPE liner. This paper will present the general dam design and discuss the range of materials used for liner bedding and cover in the dam construction. The condition of the bituminous geomembrane liner exposed and cut out of a collection pond dam which was no longer required on the site will be presented. RÉSUMÉ La mine de diamant Diavik est située dans une région de pergélisol continu, sur l’île de l’Est du Lac de Gras, NT. Suite à l’extraction des diamants du minerai kimberlitique, les rejets sont empilés définitivement dans un parc à résidus |
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