Does Your Coal Mine Have More Horse Power Than a Large Locomotive?

By:  Raymond Perr, P.E

The structure in this picture doesn’t look that special.  It’s possibly some type of warehouse or another kind of industrial construction building.  It is the type of building being designed by structural engineers and structural design programs on a routine basis.

However, if you look a little closer toward the center of the picture, you can see some unique features:

1. A large motor and reducer.  In fact, this is a drive building for a 10,000 foot-long, 72 inch-wide and 4,600 ton-per-hour conveyor. 
2. In addition to the 2,500 horse-power drive you can see, there is a second 2,500 horse-power drive on the floor below.

That’s more horse power than a large locomotive.

Getting the structural engineering right for this type of building requires an engineering group experienced in designing structures that house large equipment–the kind of equipment that is typically found at coal mines. 

Functional and economical structural designs require an in depth understanding of how the structure must accommodate each piece of equipment to assure it will operate properly, be efficiently maintained and have capacity for upset conditions while in compliance with all safety standards. In addition to being professional structural engineers, these engineers must have an understanding of the individual mechanical components, how they function as a system and how the system operates as part of the coal mine in order to be successful.

Where can you find this type of engineering talent with this type of experience? 

Industrial Resources’ structural engineering group routinely delivers these types of structural designs to the coal industry and has been doing it for more than 60 years.  Our experience includes designing preparation plants, transfer towers, conveyor trusses and just about any other large structure found at a coal mine.  We stay with the project all the way through design, construction and commissioning and understand what it takes to make designs perform both functionally and economically.  

Thanks for reading,

Raymond

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