Hardrock Mine Expansion

Astra Engineering is proud to announce the award of a Phase 1 engineering and design contract for a major capacity expansion at a historic hardrock mining operation in the Mountain West. Projects like this represent the core of what we do as an engineering firm—solving complex problems in active industrial environments where documentation is limited, infrastructure is aging, and precision matters.

This project is particularly unique because the mine has been producing for more than a century. While that kind of history is impressive, it also presents a significant engineering challenge. Over decades of modifications, repairs, expansions, and equipment changes, documentation often becomes incomplete or lost entirely. In this case, virtually no reliable as-built drawings exist for the concentrator facility.

In brownfield engineering, this is not unusual. But it does change the way engineering must be approached. As we often say: you can’t design what you can’t measure.

Starting With Reality, Not Assumptions

Before detailed design work begins, Astra’s team will deploy to the site to perform sub-inch terrestrial LiDAR scanning of the entire concentrator facility. This technology allows us to capture millions of precise data points that define the exact geometry of the existing structures, equipment, piping, and layout.

Instead of relying on outdated drawings or assumptions, we will build a highly accurate digital model of the facility. In many ways, this process is reverse-engineering the plant’s baseline design—reconstructing structural layouts, equipment locations, elevations, and spatial constraints from real-world measurements.

This step is critical in brownfield projects. Accurate field data reduces design conflicts, minimizes rework during construction, and allows expansion work to integrate smoothly with existing systems. It effectively turns a documentation gap into a reliable engineering foundation.

A Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Effort

Once the facility’s baseline model is established, Astra’s multi-disciplinary engineering team will begin detailed evaluation and design for the expansion project.

Process Engineering will focus on reintegrating idle crushing and grinding equipment back into the active processing circuit. This involves evaluating existing equipment condition, flow paths, material handling, and system capacity to ensure the reactivated equipment can operate efficiently within the expanded process.

Structural Engineering will review the integrity of infrastructure that has been in service for generations. Many structures in historic industrial facilities were built to older codes or modified over time, so evaluating load capacity, fatigue, and long-term durability is a critical part of expansion planning.

Electrical Engineering will design a major high-voltage system upgrade to support increased production loads. Capacity expansions often require significant electrical infrastructure improvements, including distribution upgrades, equipment power requirements, and system reliability considerations.

Together, these disciplines will work in coordination to develop a practical, constructible expansion plan that fits within the constraints of an active, historic facility.

Field-First Engineering

Projects like this highlight Astra Engineering’s field-first engineering philosophy. Brownfield projects cannot be successfully executed from behind a desk alone. Existing conditions, undocumented changes, and operational constraints require engineers to spend time in the field, understanding how facilities actually operate.

By collecting accurate data, walking the facility, and working directly with operations teams, we develop solutions that are grounded in reality rather than assumptions. This approach reduces construction issues, improves safety planning, and ultimately leads to better project outcomes.

Complex brownfield expansions are challenging, but they are also some of the most rewarding projects in industrial engineering. They require creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of how existing facilities function.

Looking Ahead

As Phase 1 gets underway, Astra Engineering looks forward to supporting the continued growth of this historic mining operation. Projects like this help extend the life of existing industrial infrastructure, improve efficiency, and support the industries that drive regional economies.

We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses and the next phases of engineering and design begin.