Completion year 2016
Key People
Acoustics Project Engineer, Principal
Acoustics Section Manager
Acoustic Project Engineer, Section Manager, Principal
The Dugald River project in north-west Queensland is one of the world’s largest undeveloped lead, zinc and silver deposits.
The project involved noise monitoring and assessment of the processing plant - including the haul roads within the mine site – following a change in operational procedures, in order to comply with the Environmental Approval conditions.
WGE’s acoustic team from various offices collaborated on the delivery of the project to meet the tight project deadlines. Resources from Brisbane assisted in the site investigations, which included setting up of noise loggers and measuring sound power level of mobile plant within the site.
WGE Perth acoustic team developed a 3D noise model for the complex processing plant, which included noise generating plants such as crushers, mills, conveyors and ventilation fans. Appropriate mitigation measures were developed to mitigate noise exceeding levels, set out in the Environmental Approval conditions.
Acoustics engineers set up a number of noise monitors across the site to determine the noise and vibration generated by mine activities. A complex processing plant and the large distance between external receivers and the plant posed a challenge in setting up a detailed 3D noise model for the project.
WGE successfully developed the model in very finite detail to accurately predict the noise impact on both external and internal noise sensitive receivers. Internal receivers were selected to assess the Occupational Health and Safety impacts on the personnel.