Guardianship for humankind and nature

By the end of 2022, close to 24.000 dams were registered in Brazil. They are utilized for various purposes such as irrigation, regulation of water flows, storing water supply for human consumption and electricity production as well as various industrial uses. One such industrial use is for mining tailings, the by-products of mining operations that have no economic value.

Brazil is also a country where mining has been an important economic factor ever since colonial times, when Portuguese settlers first discovered reserves of gold in the state of Minas Gerais in the 1693 . Consequently, it is no surprise that around 900 tailings dams are in use today. Companies operating here no longer only look for gold, however. Currently, Brazilian mining activities are centred on iron ore extraction and copper, gold, aluminium, manganese, tin, niobium, and nickel are lesser but still prominent metals produced.

“We needed to achieve a shorter execution time”, says Eduardo Araújo, construction manager at Piacentini do Brasil. They had successfully used metal sheet piles for the containment of loose materials such as mining tailings in emergency works after the collapse of the Mariana and Brumadinho dams. Sheet piles, widely used in European countries in geotechnical containment, have the advantage of speed of execution, ease of installation and low environmental impact. For the Serra Azul dam containment structure, Piacentini do Brasil came up with a unique design. “On completion, the structure will consist of 1,036 steel pipes organized in three parallel lines with the centre line consisting of two rows of pipes”, explains Ana Carolina Torres, project engineer at Piacentini do Brasil. The steel pipes utilized have a diameter of 1.5 metres and a wall thickness of either 19 or 25 millimetres. “So, the pipes have an individual weight of 42 tonnes and 52 tonnes”, she states. It quickly became clear that specialised equipment would be needed to drive in these huge and hefty pipes.

And as if specialized materials and specialised machinery weren’t exiting enough, the construction site is located within the dam’s self-rescue zone, an area in which authorities are not able to provide immediate support in case of dam break. “To ensure the safety of our employees, all who access this zone need to carry an identification tag and GPS so that we can track them individually by evacuation time, within that area”, says Araújo. Well-considered precaution as the Serra Azul dam is currently on the highest level of alert – level 3. Rupture could potentially have a huge impact on the community around the dam putting the lives of residents as well as all employees working in the mine at risk. As tailing dams don't simply hold water but contain elements such as sand, clay, starch, iron and toxins, the impact of failure on the environment could be disastrous as well.

In all their work, Piacentini do Brasil showcases their philosophy of fostering strong relationships. Customer relations are built on a foundation of trust, with Piacentini seeking to deliver innovative and unique solutions tailored to the needs of their customers. A vital pillar for Piacentini’s projects is the relationship with Liebherr as its supplier and the company’s extensive expertise. This longstanding collaboration and partnership demonstrates that good relations are the base of seamless operations and successful projects. In the heart of the company, however, lies a special commitment to its employees, giving them the opportunity to graduate and grow by creating a workplace where every individual can thrive. They all share a common goal in their work: the growth and sustainable development of an even better and safer Brazil.