Tahoe Resources Inc., the owners of the high-grade Escobal silver mine, commissioned M3 Engineering for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) for the Escobal Project in Guatemala. Located 70 km east-southeast of Guatemala City and 2 km east of the picturesque town of San Rafael Las Flores, the ore, mined by underground methods, is processed at 4500 m tons per day using conventional crushing-grinding and froth flotation.
There were several unique site challenges including high seismic activity and high seasonal rainfall. The site is covered with a 12 m thick, low-density pumice ash layer. M3 designed and constructed an 11 m/s³ with flow velocities of 6 m/s channel lined with HYDROTEX® fabric formed concrete to divert gradient stormwater around the perimeter of the mine, prior to commencing major earth movement and concrete works. Synthetex offered the owner a cost-effective solution of HYDROTEX 4 in Articulating Block (AB400) up to the design flow depth, transitioning to 3 in Filter Point (FP300) in the upper slopes.
