2003 maintenance actions. However, without a structured governance framework, the ability to identify, assess, and control structural risks systematically across the asset lifecycle remains limited. Fragmented documentation, dispersed responsibilities, and weak integration with maintenance and capital planning processes reduce decision confidence and may compromise long-term performance objectives. Asset management principles emphasize that risk control and value realization must be aligned with organizational objectives and embedded across the full asset lifecycle (ISO 55000, 2024). In the context of mining infrastructure, this alignment requires transforming structural integrity from an isolated technical function into a risk-informed governance discipline integrated with planning, maintenance, and capital decision processes, extending from design and construction to operation, life extension, and eventual decommissioning or reuse. This paper proposes a Structural Integrity Management (SIM) framework conceived as a methodological model to support sustainable infrastructure performance through systematic structural risk management. The framework integrates lifecycle thinking, risk-based prioritization, assisted inspection technologies, digital traceability, and clearly defined organizational roles. Its objective is to reduce structural uncertainty, strengthen risk control, enable informed life-extension decisions, and enhance infrastructure resilience under evolving operational demands. By repositioning structural integrity management as a strategic mechanism for controlling risk and safeguarding long-term value, the proposed approach contributes to safer operations, improved capital efficiency, and responsible stewardship of mining infrastructure. 2. AGEING INFRASTRUCTURE AS A CONSTRAINT TO SUSTAINABLE MINING PERFORMANCE A substantial portion of global mineral production relies on industrial facilities commissioned decades ago. These assets, including process plant structures, equipment support systems, foundations, industrial buildings, and auxiliary infrastructure, were designed under technical and operational assumptions that often differ significantly from current performance demands. Over time, structural capacity is progressively affected by degradation mechanisms that may not be immediately visible but can materially influence long-term reliability. Steel structures are frequently exposed to corrosive environments associated with humidity, chemical processing, and atmospheric contaminants. Dynamically loaded elements, particularly those supporting rotating or impact equipment, are subject to fatigue damage accumulation. Reinforced concrete components may experience cracking due to thermal effects, shrinkage, reinforcement corrosion, or increased loading. Foundations can undergo differential settlement as geotechnical conditions evolve, while equipment upgrades may introduce dynamic amplification effects not originally anticipated during the design stage. These degradation processes typically evolve gradually, and their cumulative effect may remain underestimated without structured monitoring. In many mature mining regions, a significant share of operating infrastructure has exceeded its original design life. While design standards typically anticipate long service periods under defined loading conditions, operational intensification, equipment modifications, and throughput expansions frequently alter those assumptions. As production targets increase and operational regimes evolve, the divergence between original design capacity and actual demand may progressively reduce structural safety margins. This gap between design intent and operating reality represents a critical source of structural uncertainty. Figure 1 conceptually illustrates how structural risk exposure may evolve across infrastructure lifecycle stages depending on whether integrity is managed reactively or through structured governance. The representation is qualitative and intended to highlight relative trends rather than quantitative predictions.
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