The
concentrator at Granduc was impressive, if only for its sheer size. The building was
240 feet wide and 442 feet in horizontal length and, in addition to
concentrating facilities, also contained the general and engineering offices,
the miners' dry, machine and repair shops, warehouse, receiving facilities, and
laboratories.
The building was built on the side of a
steep hill dipping at about a 25-degree angle and vertical difference between
the top and bottom of the structure was 150 feet. Some idea of the immensity of
just this part of the entire Granduc project was to be gained by the casual
statistic that 10,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured for building and
machinery foundations and elevated slabs within the building. It was also worth
noting that while in the office section of the building no noise or vibration
was evident.
One of the more important studies in
design was given to the type of roof for the massive structure. Remembering
that snowfall could and did reach 860 inches it was important that the roof of
the building act as an immense snow slide - to avoid any build-up by shedding
snow continuously. The design therefore was essentially a sandwich panel
constructed of fiberglass insulation between corrugated metal sheathing heated
by the natural connvection of the warm air in the building. The application of
the design has proven to be eminently successful during winters of heavy snow
and frigid temperatures.
