Copper Concentrator: Flotation Platform Decks in Vinyl Ester FRP
| Location | Antofagasta Region, Chile |
| Completed | 2025-04 |
| Quantity | 780 m² + 140 m handrail |
| Products | Molded grating 50 mm, vinyl ester · Pultruded grating 50 mm · FRP handrail |
The challenge
Flotation cell walkways sit over acidic, chloride-bearing process water at 4 000 m altitude, with strong UV. Galvanized decks showed base-metal corrosion by year two and were condemned at four years. Replacement panels had to handle supervisor walkways plus occasional cart traffic (wheel loads to 3 kN).
The solution
Perimeter walks used 50 mm vinyl ester molded grating with gritted surface; cart crossings used 50 mm pultruded I-bar spans over the same support centres; both finished with matching FRP handrail and kick plates. Load tables for each configuration were issued with the shipment for the site engineer's records.
Outcomes
- Panels met both pedestrian and cart duty with verified load tables
- UV-stabilized pigmentation — no chalking reported through two Andean summers
- Maintenance plan for the area moved from annual recoat to visual inspection only
- Second phase (reagent area) ordered on the same specification
Similar project?
Send the area, spans and environment — we will return a selection, a load check and a factory-direct price. Request a quote → Or see the matching application guide.