In a few weeks, Veldeman will start construction of its largest-ever structure in Antofagasta, Chile, a project commissioned by Chilean mining company SQM. The custom-built structure is as much as 60m wide, 236m long, has a side height of 6m and will also immediately become Latin America’s largest semi-permanent structure. The mega order has a value of €9m.
Veldeman won the contract to build a giant shed for the bulk storage of 85,000 tonnes of soda ash, a raw material used in the production of lithium carbonate, the main component in the lithium batteries used in electric cars, among others, worldwide. Client is the international listed Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile or SQM for short, one of the world’s leading producers of lithium carbonate.
“The 14,160m² structure consists of steel foot trusses, aluminium roof profiles and a cladding of high-quality PVC-coated tarpaulin and was fully custom-developed by our engineering department to meet Chilean standards and wind loads. In the Atacama Desert in northern Chile where the structure is being built, sporadic gale force winds of up to 140 km/h occur.” said Rolf Van Moer, Manager Technical Department.
“Besides engineering, production and assembly, Veldeman is also responsible for the installation of foundations, retaining walls, electricity, lighting, electric gates, modular floor and a dust collection system in this turnkey project. All coordination is done from our headquarters in Bree, in collaboration with the local project managers of our Chilean branch.” says Ludo Ost, International Sales Manager.
The aluminium roof structure and all sails were shipped from Bree in 15 sea containers in early February. The foundations and steel feet were manufactured in Chile. After the installation of foundations and a modular floor system, construction of the structure itself will start at the end of March and will take around 16 weeks, including all accessories and utilities. A daring feat, as the particularly strict safety regulations in the mining sector mean that the construction time will be some 2-3 times longer than in a normal industrial environment. For example, no construction is allowed at wind speeds above 30km/h.
Veldeman has already built up considerable experience in the mining sector in Chile in recent years, including some five structures for Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer. It is partly because of this expertise that SQM decided to partner with Veldeman.
Production, rental and sales of tents and temporary structures – Veldeman
