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Australian dust management and soil stabilisation company Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST) together with Proof Engineers is furthering its growth in the Indonesian market, winning a construction contract for a coal hauling and access road in Kalimantan.
The Kalimantan coal mine in Indonesia appointed the Queensland based companies to construct the multi-million dollar haul road, after Proof Engineers developed a successful haul road design that implemented RST’s road stabilisation products.
Having a strategic alliance with leading dust solution company RST and specialising in haul road stabilisation and performance monitoring across mine sites globally – Proof Engineers designed the haul
RST’s Technical and Operations Director David Handel with Proof Engineers Director Sebastian Karsas
road in January this year after analysing the site and construction conditions in Indonesia.
Expected to be a one-year project, Proof Engineers director Sebastian Karsas said the haul road, once complete, will demonstrate how well-designed and constructed roads can support Indonesia’s growing coal mining industry.
“Though coal mining in Indonesia is an expanding market, distribution still remains a challenge due to difficult terrain and damaged roads,” Mr Karsas said.
“The haul road has been designed to ensure safety during the transportation process as well as significantly increase production rates, while RST’s products will improve the road’s structural integrity, reduce road maintenance and protect the road’s surface from rapid deterioration and damage.
“We are estimating the haul road will take up to a year to construct, due to weather and environmental challenges that currently exist in Indonesia – however once complete, the haul road will perform well in these conditions.”
Proof’s Haul Road Development Program (HRDP), which is currently being implemented across mine sites worldwide, along with RST road stabilisers, surface maintenance and dust remediation products including its R-IB, RI9 and RI3 solutions, will ensure the haul road can withstand all elements.
Successfully developing soil stabilisation solutions for over 24 years, RST Operations and Technical Director David Handel said they had specifically formulated each product to cater for the Indonesian road – as a result of extensive research that has been carried out by RST’s technical team and validated by Proof Engineers since launching operations in Indonesia.
“We have been working closely with Proof Engineers to design products that are tailor-made specifically for Indonesian haul roads,” Mr Handel said.
“RI-B is a powdered speciality blend which acts as an effective road stabiliser and RI9 is a dust control agent, designed for use in the site’s standard haul road watering program to greatly improve water penetration, agglomerate fine particles and consolidate haul road surfaces.
“In addition RI3 has been designed to cater for Indonesian clay soil types, and when applied over open soil material – it enables soil fines and gravel to attain a higher density and strength.
“This application allows the treated material to be compacted with less water, while improving material density by reducing the void spaces between the soil particles, simultaneously limiting the water’s ability to permeate through the treated material.
“Our products, along with Proof’s design and management, will ensure the Kalimantan haul road is successfully built to increase fleet energy efficiencies as well as maximise productivity and return at the same time.”
Benefits of RST’s road stabilising technology will also include reduced tyre wear, minimum dust emissions and increased road surface life.
RST launched operations in Indonesia five years ago, appointing an Indonesian distributor to manage RST’s operations on the ground. Proof Engineers, whom specialise in providing Civil Engineering Services to the mining/plantation and civil road construction industries in Australia, South Africa, New Caledonia, Colombia and North America, joined RST in Indonesia two years ago.
With current projects including palm oil and sugar plantations as well as additional coal mines, RST together with Proof Engineers have continually built up their presence in the Indonesian market.
RST has more than 24 years experience specialising in total dust management, soil stabilisation and erosion, water and agricultural solutions for mine sites, haul roads, ports and land sites both in Australia and overseas. With experienced technicians designing, constructing and maintaining all systems, RST ensures its innovative products and programs supply clients with optimum results.
