High strength steel in a spiral dewaterer

To use high strength steel in structures can improve the design and reduce the weight. Lighter structures mean that less material needs to be produced and transported which reduces the structure’s environmental impact.

In a case study, an investigation was carried out into the environmental benefit of upgrading the steel in a spiral dewaterer used in mining operations from conventional steel to high strength steel. The older model of the spiral dewaterer has many external stiffeners to enable the structure to resist high water pressure. Through upgrading the steel to high strength steel the spiral dewaterer is able to resist the water pressure without external stiffeners and the number of construction parts can thereby be reduced. The results of the upgrading in the form of reduced environmental impact have been quantified through life cycle assessments.

Through upgrading the steel in a spiral dewaterer to high strength steel and modifying its design the weight could be reduced by 26 % while the greenhouse gas emissions are cut by about 2 tonnes CO_2e.

The costs of production and installation of the spiral dewaterer are reduced through upgrading by 40 %.

The fact sheet is a summery from a case study within the environmental research program The Steel Eco-Cycle.
Learn more about the program.