Design Guide - Crusher Foundations Page 1 of 8

Crusher Foundations

A.Introduction

Crushing is the mechanical process of breaking up large lumps of mineral ore to such sizes that are suitable
for further treatment in extracting the valuable parts of the ore. It is generally divided into two or three
stages:

a.Primary crushing
It is the first stage of size reduction. The objective is to reduce lumps of run-of-mine ore, as large as 1500
mm across, to about 200 mm in diameter for ease of transportation and further processing.
Crushers that are used in this stage, commonly called primary crushers, include the jaw crushers
and the gyratory crushers.

b.Secondary crushing
It is the second stage of size reduction. The objective is to further reduce the ore size to about 5 mm to 20
mm in diameter. Crushers that are used in this stage, commonly called the secondary crushers,
include the cone crushers and the roll crushers.

c.Tertiary crushing
It is the final stage of size reduction before the ore is transported to the grinding mill. The objective is to
ensure that any product output from the secondary crusher is properly sized for grinding. Cone
crushers and roll crushers are also used in this stage. Depending on the type of mineral to be
processed, tertiary crushing is sometimes not required.

B.General Description of the Equipment

a.Primary Crushers

1.Jaw Crushers
These are rugged, heavy-duty machines designed to crush large chunks of run-of-mine ore. Essentially, a
jaw crusher is fitted with two steel plates set at an acute angle to one another. The first plate is
held stationary. The second plate is pivoted at one point and designed to swing onto the first
plate. The ore is fed from the top and is crushed by this swinging action which is actuated by
the rotation of an unbalanced eccentric wheel or disc to which the swinging plate is pivoted.
The periodic opening and closing of the plates resembles the action of animal jaws, hence the
name.

One common type of the jaw crusher, called the Blake type, has the swinging plate pivoted at the top end.
In other types, the swinging plate is pivoted at the bottom, as in the Dodge type, or at an
intermediate position, as in the Universal type.

2.Gyratory Crushers
This type of machine essentially consists of a spindle which carries a steel cone-shaped crushing head
housed inside a fixed chamber. The spindle is suspended from
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the top of the chamber and is turned at the bottom by a horizontal shaft, through an eccentric sleeve. The
ore is fed into the chamber from the top. As the spindle rotates, the head sweeps out to form a
conical surface, crushing the ore against the inner shell of the chamber which is protected with
manganese steel liner.

Although more expensive, the gyratory crusher generally has a higher output than the jaw crusher
since the gyratory crusher crushes material continuously throughout the entire cycle of
revolution of the head while the crushing action of a jaw crusher takes place only at the time of
impact during each cycle of swinging. Thus when high capacity (e.g. above 900 tonnes per
hour) is required, the gyratory crusher is normally chosen in preference to the jaw crusher.

b.Secondary and Tertiary Crushers

1.Cone Crushers
The mechanical design of the cone crusher is similar to that of a gyratory crusher. The main difference is
that, in a cone crusher, the spindle is shorter and is supported (not suspended as in a gyratory
crusher) in a curved, universal bearing below the cone head. The cone head revolves about the
vertical (or near-vertical) axis and is turned by a horizontal countershaft. A spring-loaded steel
shell, commonly called the "bowl", is fitted above the cone. The ore is fed from the top and is
crushed as it passes through the gap between the rotating cone head and the stationary bowl.

The most widely used type of the cone crusher is the Symons Cone Crusher. It is available in two
models: the Standard Cone and the Short Head Cone. These two models are very similar. The
main difference is in the shape of the crushing chamber. The Short Head has a shorter head as
its name indicates. Also, it has a steeper head angle to reduce the chance of choking of finer
material. Thus the Standard Cone model is normally used for coarser (secondary) crushing
and the Short Head model is for finer (tertiary) crushing. The product size normally ranges
from 5 mm to 60 mm for the Standard Cone Crusher and 3 mm to 20 mm for Short Head Cone
Crusher.

2.Roll Crushers

i.Two-roll Crusher - This type of crusher consists of two synchronized counter-rotating rolls mounted
on horizontal shafts driven by gears or chains. The material is fed from the top. It is
gripped and crushed by the rotating rolls as it passes through the gap between the rolls.
For coarse crushing, the rolls may be toothed for better reduction ratio.

ii.Single-roll Crusher - This type of crusher consists of a single cylinder rotating against a stationary
breaker plate that is set at a predetermined distance from the rotating cylinder.

While the roll crusher can handle wet and sticky materials with less potential problem of packing, it
generally has a low reduction ratio and large-diameter rolls are required to grip

relatively small materials. For this reason, cone crushers have become more popular than roll crushers in
modern installations.

C.Operating Speed of Crushers

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Unlike vibrating screens which may operate at a speed as high as 1200 rpm, crushers generally operate at
slower speeds which may vary from 200 rpm to 600 rpm. However, most operating speeds of crushers
fall within the range of 300 to 400 rpm.

D.Static (Strength) Design of Crusher Foundations

a.Crushers are often supported on concrete structures consisting of beams and slabs on walls supported on
mat foundations. The beams or slabs should be at least 24 inches deep and the walls should be at
least 18 inches thick. For large heavy-duty crushers, e.g. 7-ft cone crushers, the supporting wall
thickness should be at least 24 inches.

b.For static design, the following loads should be considered:

1.Total weight of the crusher and motor.

2.Impact load (25 % of the total weight of the machine for primary crushers and 20 % for
secondary/tertiary crusher). The impact load may act vertically or horizontally.
3.Weight of accessory equipment e.g. chutes, conveyor etc supported by the crusher foundation.
4.Weight of the machine foundation.

c.The underside of the crusher foundation should be set at least 4.50 feet below ground.

d.The base of the foundation should be large enough so that the resultant of all the static and impact loads
falls within the middle third of the base in each direction.

e.The recommended minimum ratio of total foundation weight to the total machine weight is as follows:

Primary crushers:4.50
Secondary crushers:3.00
Tertiary crushers:2.50

It should be emphasized that compliance with the above minimum weight ratio alone does not guarantee
satisfactory performance of the machine foundation. Approximate and/or detailed dynamic
analysis should always be carried out to ensure that there is no excessive vibration of the
foundation.

E.Dynamic Analysis

a. Method of Analysis

Crushers are usually supported on stiff concrete structures at about 3 to 4 m above ground level. In this
case, manual methods using approximate formulae, such as Southwell-Dunkerley Formula, will
suffice. However, if the machine is supported on elevated steel beams and columns, more accurate
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analysis using standard dynamic analysis programs is recommended. See Design Guide for
Vibrating Screen Supports.

b.The superstructure of the crusher foundation should be made stiff enough so that the level of local
vibration of the individual members (beams, slabs and walls) is relatively low compared with the
response of the overall structure when the effect of flexibility of the soil is considered.

c.Dynamic Excitation Forces

The dynamic excitation forces are caused by the unbalanced weights of rotating parts due to centrifugal
action as in a cone crusher, or due to the periodic impact action as in a jaw crusher. The
magnitude, location and direction of dynamic unbalanced forces should be obtained from the
manufacturers. In the absence of such information, the dynamic forces may be assumed as
follows:

For primary crushers : 20 % of the total weight of machine

For secondary/tertiary cone crushers:See Section I - Approximate Design Data of Cone Crushers

d. Frequency Analysis

As the operating speed of most crushers is relatively slow, the crusher foundation should be high-tuned, i.e.
the fundamental natural frequency of the crusher foundation should be at least 50 % higher than the
maximum operating speed of the crusher.

Not only the local modes of individual beams, slabs and walls directly supporting the crusher need to be
checked against resonance, the flexibility of the soil must also be taken into consideration. To
account for the effect of the soil in manual analysis, the foundation may be taken as a rigid body
supported by a set of linear and rotational springs. The following modes of vibration should be
considered:

1.Vertical mode
2.Horizontal mode
3.Rocking (rolling and pitching) modes
4.Horizontal mode coupled with rocking mode
5.Yawing mode

e.Dynamic Soil Properties

Essentially, the following soil properties are required for dynamic analysis:

1.Dynamic soil stiffness in the form of spring constants in various translational and rotational
modes of vibration.

2.Damping ratios of the soil mass in various translational and rotational modes of vibration.
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The dynamic soil stiffness may be determined using:

1.Subgrade Modulus Method

This is the older approximate method which is based on the field measurement of the response of test
blocks subjected to simulated excitation. The vertical subgrade reaction is calculated first
based on the measured response. Empirical factors are then applied to it to obtain the dynamic
subgrade moduli in other modes of vibration. This method, while attractive because of
simplicity, is less reliable than the elastic half-space method and is usually used in analyzing
nonsensitive machine foundations.

2.Elastic Half-space Method

This is a more up-to-date method based on the theory of mechanical wave propagation through a soil mass
assumed to be a homogeneous, isotropic and semi-infinite body. The soil parameters required
are determined by in-situ dynamic (seismic) soil tests, such as the downhole and the crosshole
tests. The basic parameters required to determine the soil properties for use in dynamic
analysis are:

i.Shear modulus
ii.Poisson's ratio
iii.Mass density
iv.Excitation frequency

Unless reliable historical data of the soil parameters are available, use of the more rigorous elastic half-
space method without carrying out in-situ dynamic soil tests does not necessarily yield more
accurate results than the subgrade modulus method.

f.Damping

The damping of elevated structural steel and concrete frames is small, about 2 to 3 % of the critical amount,
and is often conservatively ignored in manual response calculations. However, soil damping is far
more significant and should not be neglected. Soil damping consists of two components: material
damping and geometric damping.

Material damping is the dissipation of energy within the soil mass itself as a result of internal friction.
Geometric damping is the dissipation of energy as a result of reduction in the

intensity of mechanical waves radiating from a vibration source and propagating through the soil mass
assumed to act as an elastic medium.

g.Soil properties for dynamic analysis should be provided by a competent soil consultant. In the absence of
such information, the approximate values of dynamic subgrade moduli and damping ratios in
various modes of vibration shown in Sections G and H respectively may be used for manual
analysis.
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F.Acceptance Criteria
See the Design Guide for Vibrating Screen Supports.

G.Approximate Values of Dynamic Subgrade Moduli

Allowable Soil Dynamic Subgrade Moduli (kips per cubic foot)

Bearing
Pressure (ksf)
Vertical Mode Horizontal Mode Rocking Mode Yawing Mode
3.0 150 to 250 90 to 150 300 to 500 120 to 200
4.0 250 to 350 150 to 210 500 to 700 200 to 280
5.0 350 to 450 210 to 270 700 to 900 280 to 360
6.0 450 to 550 270 to 330 900 to 1100 360 to 440

Note : The values of dynamic subgrade moduli depend, among other factors, on the size of foundation. In
general, the value decreases with increase of the foundation size. Thus for smaller foundation with
a plan area say less than 100 ft2, a higher value within the range indicated above may be used.

H.Approximate damping ratios of soil

Vertical mode:0.20 to 0.35

Horizontal mode :0.10 to 0.25
Rocking mode:0.05 to 0.10
Yawing mode:0.10 to 0.20

I.Approximate Design Data of Cone Crushers

Crusher Eccentric Total Weight Unbalanced Force to Distance of Countershaft

Size Speed of Machine (lb) Force Weight Force Above WR2
(feet) (rpm) (lb) Ratio (% ) Base, H (lb-ft2)
(feet)

Standard Cone Crushers

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7' - 0" * 212 191,200 26,000 13.6 4.96 4,000

7' - 0" 212 148,500 24,500 16.5 5.17 4,000
5 '- 6" 237 95,400 7,800 8.2 5.10 1,900
4' - 3" 255 49,500 4,500 9.1 3.15 960
4' - 0" 267 37,100 3,600 9.7 3.03 720
3' - 0" 330 22,000 1,450 6.6 2.92 312
2' - 0" 357 9,900 150 1.5 4.11 57
Short Head Cone Crushers
7' - 0" * 212 197,300 20,600 10.4 5.44 4,000
7' - 0" 212 154,600 15,200 9.8 5.25 4,000
5' - 6" 237 96,700 10,500 10.9 4.82 1,900
4' - 3" 255 49,800 6,000 12.0 3.50 1,200
4' - 0" 267 38,800 5,200 13.4 3.17 960
3' - 0" 330 23,200 3,700 16.0 2.81 450
2' - 0" 357 10,100 260 2.6 3.29 57

*
Note : indicates extra heavy-duty model.

J.Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in the Crushing/Screening Process

Capacity - Rated output of a crusher or screen in tons per hour.

Cavity - The internal space formed by the crushing members

Closed-circuit process - One in which the crushed product is screened and any oversized material is
brought back to the crusher for re-crushing.

Comminution - A sequence of crushing, screening and grinding processes in which the ore particles are
progressively reduced in size for the purpose of separating the valuable minerals from other
substances.

Feed - Materials to be screened or crushed.

Liner - Hard abrasion-resistant material made of alloy steel that forms the actual crushing member of a
crusher. The liner for the head in a cone crusher is called the "mantle".
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Open-circuit process - One in which the feed passes through the crusher only once.

Parallel zone - The lower portion of the cavity where the bowl liner and the mantle are parallel to each
other.

Product size - The size of the material after it has been crushed and screened.

Reduction Ratio - The ratio of the maximum size of ore particle fed into a crusher to the maximum
size of particle leaving the crusher.

K.References

a.Symons Cone Crusher Instruction Manual - Norberg Inc.

b.Mineral Processing Technology

By B. A. Wills - Pergamon Press

c.Vibrations of Soils and Foundations

By F. E. Richart, R. D. Woods and J. R. Hall, Jr. - Prentice Hall Inc.

d.Dynamics of Bases and Foundations

By D. D. Barkan - McGraw Hill Inc.

e.Handbook of Machine Foundations

By P. Scrinivasulu and C. V. Vaidyanathan - Tata McGraw-Hill Co. Ltd.

f.Dynamics in Civil Engineering - Analysis and Design Volume II, Chapter V

By Alexander Major - Akademiai Kiado, Budapest 1980

See also references listed in the Design Guide for Vibrating Screen Supports.

Prepared by Michael Chow