Kinross Fort Knox Conveyor Bent #1 Repairs

Fort Knox, Alaska

Kinross Gold Corporation hired Morrison-Maierle to replace the structure of a deteriorated conveyor belt support system that transports mined ore to the mill for processing. The greatest challenge of this project was ensuring that construction activities had as minimal of an impact on mining operations as possible. To achieve this, Morrison-Maierle proposed a staged construction, requiring plan that included offsite assembly, two 10-day, 24-hour construction periods split over two construction seasons, and continuous engineer supervision to ensure that the process was streamlined.

Morrison-Maierle designed a new foundation and support system for the conveyor belt that included new footings and piers that required “mass concrete” considerations and designing and constructing 42” to 60” large diameter structural steel tubes that had lengths up to 140-feet. Foundation considerations were essential for maximizing job site safety because the previous conveyor had shifted over the years of operation and created a hazard. The new footings, which are 30-feet square and 3-feet thick accompanied by 14-feet wide x 12-feet deep x 29-feet high piers, minimizes this risk for the future.

The new conveyor support system has been in operation, serving the mine since September 2015.

For more information on other mining and structural projects, please contact us.