How do you keep mining materials contained so runoff doesn’t pollute soil, water and air? And how do you do it in a way that is cost-effective, highly visible, and that can stand up to harsh elements? The Caserones and Sierra Gorda mines in Chile accomplish these feats with Freedomes from Geometrica—free-style domes that offer many advantages to mines and bulk storage facilities. Geometrica’s domes can stand on uneven ground, and can be designed to withstand high loads at the apex. They also reduce pollution and dust, as well as noise. When combined with durable coatings from Valspar, Geometrica’s domes provide long-lasting protection from the elements.

The Caserones Copper Mine is located in the Chilean Andes, 4000m above sea level. Structures here must be able to withstand heavy snow loads and wind gusts. The copper stockpile at the mine is one of the largest in the world, and the dome built here is the largest of its kind in South America—spanning 145m, and standing 94m high. Planners for the site used Valspar’s Coroflex coating in a bright green color to help the structures stand out even in snow, and to protect the exterior of the buildings to extend their life.

North of Caserones, the Sierra Gorda copper mine has been called “the seventh wonder of the mining world,” and is the biggest mining development in the country’s Antofagast region. The two domes here are coated in Valspar’s Hyflex in a gray color with UV inhibitors to help the structures stand up to their desert landscape. Valspar Coromax was also used to create orange accents on the buildings.

With Valspar coatings protecting the Freedomes, these mining sites are ready to stand up to the elements and keep their valuable contents right where they should be.

Sierra Gorda Chilean Copper Mine, II Region of Antofagast, Chile http://www.sgscm.cl/home_eng.html

Caserones Chilean Copper Mine, Region of Atacama, http://www.caserones.cl/

• Engineering, procurement, and construction management services: Fluor
• Builder and Architect: Geometrica
• Coating applicator: Lamina y Placa
• Coatings provider: The Valspar Corporation; Minneapolis; http://www.valsparcoilextrusion.com/