Modular construction camp as an architectural model and its different construction systems – Moquegua, Perú 2020

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Abstract

This study compiles information on the different construction systems used in mining camps in Peru in order to determine guidelines and criteria for architectural design and their different construction systems, considering improving the quality of life, comfort and optimal development of social activities that are made there. The particular case study is located in Quellaveco, Moquegua Region in southern Peru, and the “Las Bambas” mining camp located in the Apurímac Region will also be used as an example for comparison. The research has made it possible to identify the main variables that make up the design of its architecture, modular concepts and the use of different construction systems and to propose design recommendations that can be implemented to improve comfort.

Introduction

Quellaveco is one of the largest copper deposits in the world and is located in the region of Moquegua, south of Peru. The project is developed by a globally diversified mining company, in partnership with other corporations.

It has a reserve life of 30 years. It will use open pit and flotation mining processes to produce copper concentrates, as well as moly and silver as by-products. Quellaveco is expected to produce an average of 300 thousand tons of copper per year in its first 10 years of operation [1].

Mining camps are settlements located in areas with little rural population, destined to house people in transit for a temporary activity; Human groups made up of professionals, officials and mining workers, who are not only geographically isolated, but also live in segregated social environments, coexisting in spaces that often only meet the functional aspects of mining companies but do not necessarily take into account considerations environmental, socio-cultural, physiological and psychological in its design and construction [2].

Given the hard-to-reach places where mining companies are generally located, and due to the industry's own requirements, prefabrication has been chosen as the main construction method for mining camps, where modular solutions have been the most widely used and commercialized [3].

The thematic context of the project is Temporary Architecture, which uses lightweight, transportable and easily assembled construction systems, so I ask myself: Who would need an architecture with such characteristics? and Who would have the capacity to invest in its development? Answering these questions, I came to the conclusion that the project had to be developed within the Mining Camp Problem [4].

Modular architecture refers to the design of systems composed of separate elements that can be connected while preserving proportional and dimensional relationships. The beauty of modular architecture is based on the possibility of replacing or adding any component without affecting the rest of the system [5].

The participation of the architectural discipline in an area of ​​such relevance for the national context and the creation of specialized infrastructure and standardized processes to face the problem of mobile settlements under Extreme Conditions directly influences the realization of its projects, maintaining and developing quality standards that they enable and facilitate the life of the worker in adverse and difficult conditions, present, not only in the geographical location of the camp, but also in the work regimes translated into the shift system [6].

Section snippets

Study area

The operating plant is located in southern Peru, between the Asana river valley and the Cortadera valley, in the district of Torata, in the province of Mariscal Nieto, department of Moquegua, 30 km northeast of Moquegua as shown in the Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 we observe the study area where it is proposed to develop a modular construction camp.

According to the work breakdown structure (EDT) of the project, the main areas are the following:

The high mountain area includes the intake and pumping station

Results

A preliminary distribution of all the components that are involved in the design of a mining camp must be considered, shown in the following graphs. (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5)

The following figure shows a 3D preview of what was shown above. Fig. 4 shows an attempted 3D view of the entire project, the elements shown (Modules) are located on platforms according to the topography of the place and composed of buildings that have the 3 types of main construction systems mentioned (reinforced concrete, metal

Conclusions

Mining brings benefits to the surrounding communities such as the development of road infrastructure, electrical and telephone infrastructure, productive development, new jobs, health and education.

Respect for the environment is important, for this reason the development of the project must be hand in hand with the rules, codes and regulations in force and thus the necessary quality for the project can be achieved. [12]

Knowledge of new construction systems that will provide new methodologies

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Fabián Ricardo Bohorquez: Investigation. Doris Esenarro: Methodology. Ciro Rodriguez: Writing - review & editing. Vicenta Tafur: Validation. Gelacio Albino Tafur: Supervision.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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