High Altitude, Thin Walls? 70 Days to Build a Silver Mine Camp That Works at 2,400m

Why a Silver Mine in Mexico Chose Modular Camp Housing Over On-Site Construction

In 2025, a major underground expansion was approved at the Fresnillo mining district in Zacatecas, Mexico — one of the world's richest silver-producing regions. With annual silver output exceeding 47 million ounces, the expansion meant hundreds of new workers would need a place to live near the mine site.

Zacatecas sits at 2,400 meters above sea level, where daytime temperatures can soar under intense UV radiation and drop near freezing at night. The project manager initially leaned toward traditional masonry construction — it was the familiar approach, and it had worked for previous expansions over the past decade.

But there was a hard deadline. The mine's production ramp-up was already scheduled. If worker accommodation dragged past six months, the new shafts would open before there were beds for the crew. Traditional materials would have to be trucked up in batches, and concrete curing at high altitude takes longer. Six months was the optimistic estimate.

So they started looking at modular solutions.

9States proposed 168 flat-pack container units. The key advantage of flat-pack design is that units ship as flat panels — walls, floors, and roof sections stacked like a deck of cards, taking up a quarter of the volume of assembled containers. On-site, each unit takes about 20 minutes to erect and bolt together. No welding required.

The client had a specific concern: could a steel-panel building actually keep people comfortable in this climate?

9States' engineers made several climate-specific modifications to these units. The exterior wall panels were finished with PVDF fluorocarbon coating — a material normally used in curtain wall systems, offering UV resistance roughly double that of standard polyester coatings. The wall cores were filled with 75mm rock wool insulation, achieving a heat transfer coefficient of 0.45 W/(m²·K). For context, standard 50mm rock wool panels typically sit around 0.6. The extra 25mm, combined with thermal-break aluminum window frames and double-glazed glass (5+12A+5), brought the insulation performance in these units close to that of a masonry wall in the highland nights.

The roof was designed with a double-layer system — an outer steel sheet and an inner insulated ceiling, with an air cavity between them. During the day, hot air escapes through louvered vents on the sides, preventing heat from conducting downward. This design borrows from traditional highland Mexican architecture, where double roofs have been used for centuries in the same climate.

The units sailed from Qingdao port to Manzanillo, Mexico — a 22-day Pacific crossing — then traveled 620 km by truck to the Zacatecas mine site. 9States sent two technical supervisors who worked with 20 locally hired workers in four sequential phases: foundation, installation, interior finishing, and commissioning. At a pace of 8 to 10 units per day, the camp was delivered in 70 days.

After move-in, the mine site reported that workers were satisfied with the living conditions. In a high-altitude mining operation, small things matter — a hot shower after a shift, a well-insulated room for uninterrupted sleep, a dining hall that doesn't require long waits. For miners working underground, those things determine how well they show up the next day.

Project Summary

Facilities

• Accommodation: 120 twin rooms + 90 four-person rooms, each with individual lockers, desks, reading lights, and USB charging ports
• Dining: 200-seat cafeteria with stainless steel commercial kitchen and cold storage
• Sanitation: 40-shower centralized bathhouse, 30-stall restroom, 10-unit industrial laundry
• Recreation: TV lounge, gym, table tennis room, outdoor basketball court
• Administration: Project manager office, security monitoring room, medical clinic, warehouse

9States specializes in modular camp solutions for global mining, energy, and infrastructure projects. Visit our website for more information: www.9prefabhouse.com