MINING & CONSTRUCTION
The circular economy
that can turn mine waste into bridges and buildings
The country’ s mine dumps could help build roads, bridges and homes. Gap Infrastructure Corporation( GIC) reveals how turning tailings into construction material can curb quarrying, cut carbon and unlock a powerful circular economy.
By Roelof van den Berg, CEO of the Gap Infrastructure Corporation( GIC)
Environmental protection remains a critical point of contention for South Africa’ s industrial sectors. The mining and construction sectors, in particular, deal with immense amounts of natural resources, where the former unearths billions of tonnes of aggregate annually, and the latter uses massive quantities of rock, clay, limestone, and gravel for the cement, bricks, and asphalt needed to erect buildings, lay roads, and construct critical public service infrastructure.
Every tonne of tailings that takes the place of virgin aggregate leaves another hillside intact and saves on thousands of litres of diesel …
However, there is a method by which these two industries, through close cooperation and strict adherence to South African National Standards( SANS) and other relevant internationally recognised standards, could greatly limit their impact on the environment and establish a circular economy that ensures the least waste.
Companies such as the Gap Infrastructure Corporation( GIC), which utilises vast amounts of building material during large public infrastructure projects, have a
22 sabusinessintegrator. co. za