Geotechnics For Mine Infrastructure

Getting Projects Onto Sound Footings.

Approach
Geotechnical challenges that could influence the development of your site can include geological environment, ground and groundwater conditions and seismicity. Additional challenges may originate from your particular equipment and infrastructure, eg. vibrating mill foundations, machinery with limited tolerance for settlement and other design constraints for structural and operational purposes.

Our teams of geotechnical specialists combine extensive knowledge and experience with sophisticated numerical modelling capabilities to develop appropriate, cost-effective solutions for your project. Our services include detailed site evaluation for development, foundation design, preparation of designs and contract management. We also investigate and present specialist and expert opinions for technical or legal disputes. Examples include investigation and geotechnical design for buildings, roads, pipelines, bridges, plant site foundations, wharf and docking facilities, dams and other water retaining structures, shallow undermining and mine closure, as well as for embankments, excavations and tunnels.

For projects in remote parts of the world, our regional experts ensure that local challenges are understood. These may include collapsible, expansive or dispersive soils and karst conditions. Our experts in soil-structure interaction can assist you with the design of tunnel linings, foundations for volume change soils, lateral support of excavations and optimisation of construction procedures. Our cold climate geotechnical experts provide specialist input to infrastructure and foundation designs in permafrost conditions. With our widespread geographical footprint, we can provide the appropriate expertise to resolve the challenges on your particular project.

Services:

• Geotechnical investigation.
• Foundation design.
• Lateral support and retaining wall design.
• Borrow material investigation.
• Dam design and safety inspection.
• Excavations and embankments.
• Erosion control.
• Geological hazard assessment.
• Terrain stability analysis.
• Tunnel geotechnics and design.
• Monitoring and instrumentation.
• Land reclamation.

Mining Geotechnical Investigations

We believe that an efficient and effective geotechnical study is an integral component of any proposed mine or mining project. The geotechnical investigation program should include an understanding of the lithological, structural, alteration and hydro-geological aspects, enabling the rock mass to be characterized into relevant geotechnical domains. Representative geotechnical design parameters for the mine design can then be allocated to each of these domains.

Approach
For a green field site, we undertake a geological and structural review followed by a targeted drilling program to characterize the site's geotechnical conditions. These programs include both geotechnical/structural and hydrogeological data collection activities. For existing operations we supplement the drilling program by mapping existing excavations and back-analyzing the geotechnical parameters of existing excavations. In this way, we identify and characterize the rock mass, and the structural and hydro geological conditions that influence the design and stability of a proposed mine.

The geotechnical investigation is often a phased study. The first phase should identify the main issues and opportunities and define the follow-up site work. A phased approach ensures that the work is carried out efficiently and economically and allows the engineer to review the options and redefine the objectives of the investigations as required.

Experience
EMCS has significant worldwide experience in design, implementation, supervision and interpretation of geotechnical investigations for many types of mining and civil engineering geotechnical projects from scoping level studies, through pre-feasibility study to feasibility studies, including:

• Open pit, quarry and underground mine design.
• Soil, rock and waste dump slope stability.
• Tailings and ash disposal sites.
• Foundation investigations.
• Contaminated land investigation.

Services:

• Design and management of geotechnical investigation programs.
• Site supervision and training in geotechnical data collection and interpretation.
• Core logging, geotechnical mapping and 3D photogrammetric techniques (Sirovision).
• Geotechnical data management and database compilation.
• Rock mass classification using systems, RMR, Q, MRMR, GSI, etc.
• Structural geology evaluation and interpretation on a mine scale.
• Structural fabric analysis of rock masses.
• Geotechnical design domain evaluation.
• Statistical analysis of rock mass strength parameters.
• Formulation of geotechnical parameters to be used for mine design.
• Preparation of 3D geotechnical models, design sections and plans.
• Geotechnical block modelling, parametric and non-parametric.
• Data analyses and geotechnical report preparation.

Underground Rock Mechanics

Ensuring A Safe Environment And Profitable Mining.

Approach
We have the knowledge and experience to work on a range of studies from scoping to feasibility and operational improvement across all major resource types, for underground operations and for operational support. Our consultants, many with industry backgrounds, have worked on deposits on all continents bringing broad experience and an international perspective to your projects.

Our team of professionals includes individuals with highly developed numerical modeling capabilities. We offer a mix of analytical and empirical analysis complemented by sound operational experience to give solutions that are innovative and practical and design parameters that are optimised for the conditions and mining strategy. We focus on the application and interpretation of the analytical results by reducing the data to create geotechnical domain models, representing areas of the project that are expected to have similar characteristics. We deliver useful geotechnical models and design parameters to ensure that you get practical, focused results that add value to your projects.

The experts we provide in key areas can assist you to deliver successful projects. And we are happy to work closely with your teams to strengthen in-house capacity by transferring our understanding and skills.

Services:

• Geotechnical field investigation, mapping, logging, and databasing.
• Structural geology interpretation and analysis.
• Rock mass characterization and geotechnical domain modeling.
• Mining method selection and optimisation of excavation sequencing.
• Assessment of the groundwater impact on underground design.
• Mine infrastructure and capital development excavation design.
• Underground stability analysis, 2D and 3D modeling and design.
• Dilution, fragmentation and caving analysis.
• Design of underground support systems.
• Design, implementation and management of monitoring systems.
• Training of client personnel.

Pit Slope Stability

Ensuring A Safe Environment And Profitable Mining.

Approach
We have the knowledge and experience to work on a range of studies from scoping to feasibility and operational improvement across all major resource types, for open pit and underground operations, and for operational support. Our consultants, many with industry backgrounds, have worked on deposits on all continents bringing a broad international perspective and experience to your projects.

Our team of professionals includes individuals with highly developed numerical modelling capabilities. We offer a mix of analytical and empirical analysis complemented by sound operational experience to give solutions that are innovative and practical and design parameters that are optimised for the conditions and mining strategy. We focus on the application and interpretation of the analytical results by reducing the data to create geotechnical domain models, representing sectors of the project that are expected to have similar geotechnical characteristics. Our deliverables are useful geotechnical models and design parameters to ensure that you get practical, focused results that add value to your projects.

We are able to provide experts in the key areas to assist you to deliver successful projects and are happy to work closely with your teams to strengthen in-house capacity by transferring our understanding and skills.

Services:

• Geotechnical field investigation, mapping, logging, and databasing.
• Structural geology interpretation and analysis.
• Rock mass characterization and geotechnical domain modeling.
• Mining method selection and optimisation of excavation sequencing.
• Assessment of the groundwater impact on underground design.
• Mine infrastructure and capital development excavation design.
• Underground stability analysis, 2D and 3D modeling and design.
• Dilution, fragmentation and caving analysis.
• Design of underground support systems.
• Design, implementation and management of monitoring systems.
• Training of client personnel.