Learning Hub

On mine site haul roads, dust control is essential. But mine sites that just use plain water to manage dust are making a costly mistake. When you understand how water impacts road structure and stability, you can save significant resources and discover productivity wins.

Every mining operation optimises for faster cycle times. In open-cut mines, where haul distances can stretch for kilometres, the challenge of dust control versus productivity is particularly acute. While teams analyse truck speeds, optimise dispatch patterns, and fine-tune loading practices, they often miss a significant cycle time bottleneck: water truck interactions.

Mining operations are under more pressure than ever to manage water better. Water stewardship is in the spotlight as miners now need to align water management practices with the expectations of local communities, traditional owners, and environmental regulations. The accelerating impact of climate change on rainfall patterns makes this an urgent, prominent problem.

Dust fallout from your Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) can cause massive problems, especially when your mine is close to a town or community. To manage TSF dust safely you need to find a long-lasting solution that makes long-term site rehabilitation easier, not harder.

Our next conference participation brings us closer to our vision of making dust control in mining more sustainable.

If you’re dealing with dust on primary or secondary haul roads, chances are you’re using water to keep it out of the air. Spraying your roads with water has long been seen as a cheap and safe option, but times are changing. As water becomes scarcer, using billions of litres on dust suppression every year might not add up. In this guide, we compare all the dust control options available in 2025 and summarise their pros and cons.

Bitumen emulsion has traditionally been the only option for high-traffic haul roads. And why wouldn’t it be? It binds dust, strengthens the road surface, and makes it more resistant to wear from 400-ton trucks.

Seasonal change creates unique challenges for mining operations. In mining regions like Australia, South Africa and South America, extreme changes in rainfall and weather are predicted to become more severe over the coming years and this will create more work for mine operations teams.

We’re used to thinking about water as being cheap and accessible. Times – and the climate – are changing. Water shortages are becoming a fact of life across the planet.

The mining industry has long relied on traditional dust control methods to manage its operations, with very little innovation in this area. But in recent years, we’ve seen a shift.