CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
25 February 2009
Implementation Investments
Hatch Associates Saves Time and Money on Pueblo Viejo Mining Project With Bentley Software
Hatch Associates Ltd., a supplier of technical and strategic services to mining owners and operators, won a 2008 Be Award of Excellence in the “Innovation in Metals and Mining” category for Barrick Gold Corporation’s Pueblo Viejo mining project in the Dominican Republic. The primary goal of this complex undertaking was to design and build facilities for the extraction and processing of gold from a refractory sulphide ore body at a throughput rate of 24,000 tonnes per day. The use of Bentley’s PlantSpace and other intelligent 3D modeling tools enabled Hatch to save design time and reduce the risk of rework in the field. The project is featured in the new publication “The Year in Infrastructure 2008,” available online from Bentley Systems at http://www.bentley.com/YearInInfrastructure2008. Hatch’s task was to create the first chemical process step in the recovery of gold. To successfully complete the project, the Hatch team needed to design four large pressure oxidation vessels (autoclaves) as information became available without continuously redesigning the plant. In addition, it had to overcome the site’s space constraints by creating the most compact layout possible while maintaining access and safe operation.
The use of PlantSpace and other Bentley products allowed all disciplines to work simultaneously while sharing design information on a real-time basis. Hatch implemented a user-friendly 3D environment that allowed the team to develop a compact layout, general arrangements, and isometric drawings by extraction; import terrain maps and structural steel and concrete models; and produce integrated models for design reviews, presentations, and clash detection. It also deployed Bentley software to create a central storage system that allowed fast information transfer across all design disciplines.
Commenting on the project, Murray Pearson, lead mechanical engineer for the Pressure Oxidation Facility, said, “The use of PlantSpace and other Bentley 3D products has greatly enhanced our ability to make the most efficient use of available space in plant layout, produce cost-effective designs, visually demonstrate operational and maintenance concepts to the client, and to convey the construction methodology and sequence to the project team. It has saved the project thousands of hours in checking, design revisions, and drawing production.”
Glenn Sakaki, managing director of project execution at Hatch, said, “Without the assistance of Bentley software, this project, which is very important to the Dominican economy, would have taken much longer to execute and would have required more staff for coordination, checking, and supervision. Moreover, through our collaboration with other companies and our emphasis on quality, we were able to optimize this technology and effectively deliver and supervise the construction and operation of the facility.”
For additional information about Bentley’s PlantSpace and other intelligent 3D modeling tools, visit http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Products/Plant+Design+and+Engineering.
For information about how to enter projects for consideration in the 2009 Be Awards of Excellence competition, visit http://www.bentley.com/BeAwards.
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