Aluminium Smelter Waste Containment Cell - Transnet® Geocomposite

Project: Aluminium Smelter Waste Containment Cell

Drainage geonet geocomposite a critical component of this containment cell.

Project snapshot

The Kurri Kurri Hydro Aluminium site was constructed back in 1969, producing 5 million tonnes of aluminium before it finally ceased operation in 2012.

The demolition of the smelter began five years later in 2017, with the remediation contract being awarded in December 2019.

This smelter remediation project included the construction of an engineered containment cell which would provide a safe repository for contaminated waste and by-products remaining on site.

This containment cell has a small footprint within the overall site area of approximately 2000 ha, much of which is earmarked for a mix of conservation, residential and industrial development. This cell incorporates a number of geosynthetic products including Transnet geocomposite drainage geonet from Global Synthetics.

The challenges

After the decommissioning process was completed, several pockets of contaminated soil and smelter waste remained which could not be reused or recycled. These needed to be placed in the suppression chamber - an enclosed cell totalling approx 300,000 cubic metres in size.

The geosynthetic specification called for a high-quality geonet that could offer long-term stability and performance in aggressive environments.

Our solution

Transnet TN330-2-8, a geonet made from high-quality virgin HDPE for long term durability was selected for the project. At over 8mm thick, the geonet core allows for high flow capacity, with UV stabilised polypropylene filter fabric providing the thermally-bonded geotextile component.

Transnet has a minimum 2000kPa compressive strength capacity, making it one of the strongest drainage composites in the world. A total quantity of 107,000m2 was supplied for the Kurri Kurri Hydro Aluminium project.

Transnet was also selected for a similar application at the BHP Remediation site in Kooragang Island back in 2010, reinforcing the reputation of Transnet as a durable and high-performance geosynthetic for aggressive environments.

Find out more about Transnet

Our engineering team is here to provide advice, technical support and selections for our customers. For further information or to enquire about geosynthetic solutions for your next project, contact us at info@globalsynthetics.com.au or call our team today.