Valley Leach Facility

Ames constructed a new valley leach facility that supported the expansion of existing leaching operations for gold recovery ore processing at a Colorado mining operation. The project was the largest leach pad constructed at the site to date, with a footprint of approximately 350 acres.

Crews worked through schedule challenges that resulted from having to work on steep slopes during long periods of excessive rainfall.

Existing underground mine workings presented another challenge. As earthwork and excavation progressed, nearly 700 workings within the project boundaries required remediation; about 250 of these were discovered after the outset of the project.

Remediation of the cavities ranged from simply filling a small pit with a few cubic yards of compacted material, to placing thousands of square yards of geosynthetic liner, along with subgrade blasting, excavation, and re-compaction efforts.

Crews also relocated State Highway 67 to allow for construction of the new facility.