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December 2015
MODERN MINING
25
GEOTECHNICAL
The wire mesh chosen for
the project needed to be
strong, long lasting, and of
a correct weave to restrict
the size of the smallest rocks
that might pass through
the apertures of the drapery
mesh system.
constructed a drape wire mesh decoil-
ing machine which is able to anchor
to the anchor system at the crest of the
drape wire mesh installation areas, and
then be remotely operated to ‘walk/
drive’ down the slope highwall, at
the same time decoiling the rolls of
drape wire mesh. The ‘Decoiler’, as the
machine has been named, is able to
handle drape mesh rolls up to 200 m in
length, and 8 m wide. The Decoiler has
been internationally patented.
Two of these Decoilers were built by
Wepex at its fabrication workshop in
Durban and deployed at the project.
Working on unstable slope high-
walls, suspended on ropes 180 m above
the ground, is potentially a dangerous
activity. Ensuring that a fully wire
mesh laden 12 tonne Decoiling machine does
not plummet uncontrolled down to the bottom
of the highwall slope required innovative engi-
neering design.
Wepex employed primarily local Botswana
citizens in its workforce. The project depended
heavily on rope access technicians operating
the Decoiler, as well as stitching close the
drape wire mesh panels. Due to the rope access
industry in Botswana being virtually non-exis-
tent, Wepex brought in a rope access instructor
from South Africa to present two courses in
Botswana. As a result, Botswana now has 10
new rope access technicians.
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