Dust-A-Side reuses old haul road material to cut mine road build needs in half

Dust-A-Side says it recovered treated wearing course from an existing haul road during a pit expansion and reused it to build a new mine road in South Africa. The approach cut the new material and dust suppression product needed by 50% and reduced waste from infrastructure that would otherwise have been dumped.

Why it matters: - Reusing treated haul road material can reduce waste, lower the amount of new product needed and cut the cost and time of rebuilding mine roads. - The approach also supports mine ESG goals by keeping recoverable material on site instead of sending it to a waste dump.

What happened: - Dust-A-Side recovered around 1 km of previously treated wearing course when pit expansion reached an existing haul road at one of the mines it services. - Site leadership proposed salvaging the treated road material rather than losing it to the waste dump, and the mine accepted the plan. - The recovered material was reused to construct a new haul road in South Africa.

The details: - The existing treated wearing course was ripped up, loaded and tipped along the line of the new haul road. - The recovered material was blended 50/50 with coal discard. - Dust-A-Side compacted the mix and plate mixed it with the company's DAS LC product. - The surface was reshaped, finished with a grader and sealed. - The rebuilt road required only half the volume of wearing course and product normally needed at establishment. - Dust-A-Side said the project delivered a smooth, well-shaped and sealed surface ready for production traffic. - The company also saved residue from tanks used to store product on site before new deliveries arrived. - The residue was used to repair mine potholes and road surfaces. - Depending on the need, the residue is applied as is or mixed with water and soil material. - Dust-A-Side said more information on its products and services is available at the company's website.

Between the lines: - The project shows a broader push in mining to recover value from material already on site instead of treating older infrastructure as waste. - The company framed the effort as part of a larger response to pressure from regulators, investors and neighbouring communities to reduce waste and demonstrate progress on ESG commitments. - The reuse of both road material and tank residue suggests mine dust control operations can generate recoverable inputs, not just consumable products. - Fillipus Masipa, chief technical officer at Dust-A-Side, said: "DAS-treated wearing course is fully reclaimable and reusable." He added that reusing material cuts product consumption and saves time spent sourcing new material.

What's next: - Dust-A-Side said it works with each operation to assess roads, surfaces and dust challenges and build an approach suited to the site and season. - The company is positioning environmental stewardship as part of its core operating model rather than a separate initiative.

The bottom line: - Dust-A-Side turned buried haul road material and tank residue into usable mine infrastructure, showing a practical way to reduce waste and stretch existing resources.