Established in 2005, Kasco Mining and Construction is a subsidiary of the larger Kasco Group (Kasco). Originally a micro equipment hire contractor, Kasco has grown to be one of the leading mining, concrete, infrastructure and earthworks contractors in the Tanzanian construction and mining sector. Kasco’s primary business activities include construction of heavy traffic roads, drainage, road maintenance, pipelines and culverts, as well as total solutions in mining, drilling, construction and earthworks services. The Group also provide long distance haulage and transportation across regional countries.
Kasco purchased the Rapidmix 400CW mobile continuous concrete mixing plant to supply mine backfill for one of Africa’s largest mining organisations. Mine backfill is the process by which material is used to fill the voids/cavities created by mining excavations. If the voids are left unfilled, this can create instability not only for extraction of adjacent pillars underground, but also above ground, leading to subsidence. Mine backfill makes effective use of waste rock extracted during the mining process by reusing it as aggregate within the backfill mix. There are typically four types of mine backfill: Dry Fills, Cemented Rockfill, Hydraulic Sandfill and Paste Backfill. Kasco selected to utilise a Cemented Rockfill as the backfill type.
Cemented Rockfill is comprised of waste rock mixed with a cement slurry to improve the bond strength between the fragments of rock. In terms of mix design, Cemented Rockfill contains cement slurry concentrations at typically 55% by wt. and a mixture of coarse (<150mm) and fine (<10mm) aggregates. In this application, the Rapidmix 400 CW mobile continuous concrete mixing plant mixed a pre-graded aggregate, cement and water to produce the backfill.
With outputs of 400tonnes/hour, the Rapidmix machine enabled Kasco to deliver faster and more efficiently on the project. Using its own fleet of Volvo dump trucks alongside the Rapidmix 400CW mobile continuous mixing plant, Kasco was able to complete the backfill process faster, resulting in less delays in the mining cycle resulting in saved time, manpower, and money.
Jarlath Gilmore, County Armagh, Northern Ireland-headquartered Rapid International’s sales and marketing director, said: “We were pleased to have supplied Kasco with a faster and most efficient solution to their mine backfill production requirements. Kasco were highly satisfied with the Rapidmix capabilities and the cost savings achieved.”
The Rapidmix 400CW plant produces high quality controlled mixtures for utilisation in a range of applications – from airport runways and contaminated land treatment to dam construction and soil stabilisation. The mobile nature of the plant combined with the technically advanced design is most advantageous in meeting the supply and demand requirements on projects. The Rapidmix provides a cost effective solution for on-site projects where high specification compliance coupled with a high volume fast throughput are essential.
Fully mobile and self-contained, the Rapidmix 400CW is a complete plant powered by its own power source, with on-board compressor and generator. Fitted with a self-erecting system, using hydraulics, the plant can change from travel mode to fully operational within a few hours. Available with outputs of up to 600 tonnes/hour, the Rapidmix provides feed rates that are fully adjustable for the aggregate, cement and water systems.
The Rapidmix 400CW incorporates full weighing options for all materials - aggregates, cement and water - offering record keeping that is automated, precise and detailed.
