or even entire furnace structures to facilitate
modernised installations.
Often a selection of different methods will
come into play, ranging from the hydraulic
jacking and removal of staves to the lancing
of solidified iron a few meters thick. It is
also very common to share a working space
with other service providers, where several
contractors are working alongside each other.
It is therefore critical to implement a detailed
and consistent plan of action, ensuring the
safety of all persons during large, intricate, and
complicated projects.
Jet Demolition has modified various
items of plant and equipment, significantly
reducing their overall size, enabling them
to fit and manoeuvre in incredibly confined
spaces. It has also recently lifted modified
mini excavators onto engineered scaffolding,
enabling it to demolish refractory lining at
height. “This activity has historically only ever
been done by hand at this specific facility,”
says Bester.
“We use specialised lances and tubes,
affording us a better burn-rate through
solidified iron, and have applied metallurgical
research into developing unique wire-packs
suited specifically to the base-metals within
the furnace to be demolished,” Bester adds.
Fatigue management and contractor
integration are the major challenges associated
www.miningmirror.co.za
DEMOLITION
Cradle to grave
Demolition of the redundant refractory lining within the furnace.
with work of this nature. Furnace shutdowns
typically require extended working hours
under extreme conditions, and nearly always
involve night-shift activities. It is thus critical
to ensure that the teams are well-rested,
disciplined, experienced, and well looked after
throughout the project.
Due to the nature of the works, it is
not uncommon to have a demolition
contractor working alongside an installation
contractor. As a result, it is imperative that all
programmes are wholly integrated, with every
person understanding where risk-activities are
being executed.
In addition, it is inevitable that furnace
demolition activities have an array
of associated extreme conditions and
circumstances. These range from working
in a wet environment during quenching
and cooling to working in an extremely hot
environment with restricted visibility during
lancing activities.
AUGUST 2019 MINING MIRROR [37]