The mining industry is dominated by road transport. The Vostochny mine, part of the Apatit enterprise, is no exception. The scientific and technical forecast shows that, despite the significant disadvantage inherent in this type of technological transport - atmospheric pollution by exhaust gases - there is no alternative to it in the rather distant future. The main ore reserves are concentrated and developed by the Koashva open pit. Transportation of ore from the pit face to the excavator transfer depot and of rock from the pit face to the dump is performed by dump trucks. In the project the open pit will reach a depth of 570 meters in a closed circuit. At such depth of mining the use of auto dump trucks BelAZ-7512 and BelAZ-7519, which are in operation now, becomes extremely unprofitable and power-consuming. One of the promising types of transport for deep pits is a vertical cage air cushion hoist. Such an elevator is a device for lifting auto-dump trucks to the side of the quarry and their descent into the quarry. The elevator is a vertical shaft with a platform moving on it under the action of air pressure from below. The value of overpressure is small and is provided by a standard mine ventilation system.
