CASE HISTORY Ref: INT/CH/AUS/SR002 — Rev:01, Sept 11 MINE SLOPE STABILISATION BUTTRESS WALL CAPE PRESTON, WESTERN AUSTRALIA SLOPE REINFORCEMENT WITHIN MINES Product: Terramesh® System and Paralink® Problem CITIC Pacific's Sino Iron project is a world class, largescale magnetite iron ore project located at Cape Preston, 100km south west of Karratha in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is the largest planned magnetite project in Australia. The project has over two billion tonnes of identified ore and targets exports of more than 27.6 million tonnes of high grade iron ore concentrate and pellets each year over its estimated projected mine life of 25 years. The project features significant investment in dedicated infrastructure including concentrate processing, pelletising, a 51 gigalitre desalination plant and port facility, as well as a 450 MW combined cycle gas fired power station. Unstable blasted slope requiring protection As part of the project, four large semi-mobile in-pit crushing stations are required to be installed in the main pit. This involved construction of four primary crusher pockets using sophisticated blasting techniques and up to 24m long soil nails. During the course of construction of Pockets #1 and #2, it was identified that the south west corner geology was not competent enough to carry the proposed design dynamic loads. The truck (600T) turning zone in this area was affected by an adjacent blast when the permanent batters were created between crusher pockets. Initial proposals included that the area should be protected by a 100mm layer of fibre reinforced shotcrete and cable bolt anchor array. The cable bolts would be 15m and 10m in length and installed on a 3m by 3.5m spacing. This cable bolt proposal was deemed difficult to construct by project contractor, BGC Contracting, with the risk of possible cost penalties. During construction - laying Paralink & Terramesh Solution In August 2010, BGC Contracting contacted Geofabrics Client: CITIC PACIFIC MINING Main contractor: BGC CONTRACTING Designer: PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF Products used: 2000 M2 TERRAMESH®, PARALINK® Date of construction JUNE 2011 During construct

Australasia to develop a ‘Gabion type’ buttress solution to stabilise the slope. To minimise excavation of the slope and to provide a ‘best-fit’ scenario, a buttress face angle of 63 degrees was selected. It was decided that a combination Terramesh® and Geogrid Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE) structure would be offer an efficient solution, suited to the conditions. Using Maccaferri MACSTARS Mechanically Stabilised Earth design software, Geofabrics provided technical support to BGC. This was based on a Maccaferri Terramesh® soil reinforcement system with Paralink® geogrid primary soil reinforcement,...