STS mining transportation systems resemble conventional material transport systems. It is however based on different principals and apart from lower construction and maintenance costs has the following advantages:
- STS track structure is significantly more resistant to wear and tear. Life expectancy of the track structure is 50 years. Rail head will have minimal wear due to the optimal wheel-rail interface geometry.
The main structural elements of STS system – the tensioned strings, are encapsulated inside robust steel body, which is also filled with a special hermetic. This ensures full protection from either mechanical damage or aggressive impact of natural forces. STS is therefore safe, reliable and all weather operational system.
- Strings that form the core of STS track structure are thick (3-5 mm) High Strength Steel Wires that are stationary tensioned inside the rail body parallel to each other, they do not contact with other wires and do not experience shifting stress (only shifting tension within operating parameters). STS track structure is operational even if 50% of wires break. Remaining 50% of wires ensure regular operating conditions of the system.
- STU’s string rail has more than twenty fold margin of safety.
- STS system’s has unprecedented energy efficiency. This is due to the very low rolling resistance of the optimized steel wheel on steel rail as well as superb aerodynamic qualities of a dump-car.
- STS ensures higher speeds of transportation as compared to dump trucks. Higher speed increases turnover of the rolling stock and correspondingly reduces the rolling stock requirement, its operating and maintenance cost.
- STS system is all weather operational. String rail track structure is extremely durable and is able to withstand the harshest weather conditions including: rain, hurricane wind, snow, earthquakes etc.
- STS optimized track structure’s capital cost compares very favourably with conventional systems with similar capacity. STS mining haulage system can usually be implemented for 60-70% as compared to conventional railroad. More importantly the combined transportation cost is about half that of a railway.
These outstanding economic characteristics of STS achieved due to:
- Cost effective elevated track structure based on superbly efficient, “string rail” technology. For example; a conventional rigid beam structure with 10 ton design load and 50 meter span weights 37.5 ton, on the other hand a “string rail” structure with the same characteristics weights only 3.9 ton. This almost tenfold reduction in material consumption generates significant savings in capital cost.
- Being fully elevated, STS has low dependence on terrain, where difficult terrain can see costs of conventional systems escalated dramatically as they rely on solid ground.
- String rail is a low maintenance structure designed for 50 years lifecycle with maintenance limited primarily to periodic inspections.
- Running costs of an STS line are much lower compared to conventional systems due primarily to significantly reduced energy consumption and low maintenance cost.
- STS is the safest systems. Unlike conventional two-dimensional transport, STS is three-dimensional. It never intersects at the same level with other modes of transport, animals or pedestrians thus eliminating the main cause of accidents.
- Despite being the most advanced transportation system, STS is in essence is the optimised fusion of conventional railway and automobile transportation. All the materials required for its construction, such as: steel, high strength steel wires, concrete etc. are widely available and manufactured by most industrially developed countries. The same to a large extent is true for transportation modules as well. Most units and components used, such as: engineers, transmission and electrical systems etc. are already manufactured and are available from the number of manufactures worldwide. There certainly are unique components and yet these are also fairly conventional and easily manufacturable.
- All STS systems can be designed for specific transport solution. Required capacity is achieved by adjusting a transportation module’s capacity and/or number of vehicles.
- STS is the most environmentally friendly system.
- Due primarily to greatly reduced energy consumption, STU’s negative impact on the environment is correspondingly reduced. Harmful and greenhouse emissions are directly proportional to the amount of energy consumed (be it fossil fuel or electricity). Therefore STS will produce less harmful and greenhouse emissions for the same transportation task.
- STS is fully elevated and build on supports and therefore does not affect fragile eco systems, animals’ migration, vegetation or natural hydrology.
- STS is a much lower source of noise pollution than conventional transportation. This is due to continuously welded polished rail, independent suspension of the wheels and improved aerodynamics.
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