Mining Geotechnical Engineering Services

Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd provides consulting geotechnical engineering expertise and practical experience for site investigations, analysis, design, safe operation, and solving ground engineering challenges for open pit and underground mining projects, from pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, to conception, operation, maintenance, closure, risk analysis, risk assessment, and learning. More particularly, Alpha Adroit provides specialized services for continued safety and stability of dumps, dykes, and open pit walls. 

Open Pit Mining Geotechnical Engineering Alpha Adroit Engineering LtdOur team provides active and cost-effective geotechnical engineering in optimizing mine design and managing the geotechnical risks.
Alpha Adroit's site investigations provide the detailed understanding of the geotechnical setting at the mine site that is required for tailored designs and management plans, as well as, ensuring satisfactory mining activities, geotechnical stability, and satisfying regulatory requirements.

Areas of Alpha Adroit's mining geotechnical engineering expertise include:

    • Mining geotechnical site investigation
    • Mining geological site characterization
    • Mining hydrogeological assessment
    • Field and laboratory soil and rock testing
    • Surface Mining (open pit)
    • Shallow and deep excavations 
    • Gravel and aggregate quarries
    • Clay pits
    • Underground mining
    • Tailing facilities and tailing dams
    • Waste rock storage facilities 
    • Ash disposal sites
    • Landfills
    • Pipelines (as part of tailing and other waste transport systems or for water) and pumping stations
    • Mining haul roads, access roads, parking areas, and emergency roads
    • Power transmission towers and telecommunication towers for mining projects
    • Embankments 
    • Foundations (shallow and piled foundations) for mine infrastructures and facilities
    • Continuous mining construction oversight, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), and safety monitoring
    • Forensic geotechnical engineering and expert witness services for mining projects

 

— Call us Toll-Free: 1-844-4-ADROIT ( 1-844-423-7648  or  1-780-708-4110 ) or please contact us here for more information.


The below list provides a summary of some of our geotechnical engineering services:

General — All Types of Mining

 Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd has the following capabilities:

    • Mining Site Investigation
    • Desktop studies and Site Reconnaissance
    • Geotechnical investigation and data collection including mapping, core and borehole logging, field testing, and laboratory materials testing (may include advanced materials testing)
    • Geotechnical Engineering for mining site support facilities
    • Development of site-specific and project-specific testing methods
    • Core logging, geotechnical mapping of geological structures, and 3D photogrammetric techniques (Sirovision) 
    • Rock mass classification (using RMR, Q, MRMR, GSI, and other systems) and characterization for mining studies
    • Measurement and assessment of geotechnical parameters and material properties for analysis and design 
    • Analysis and design of ground support and stabilization measures using numerical analysis, limit equilibrium, and probabilistic methods
    • Design for ground improvement techniques
    • Continuous waste rock dump (rock pile) stability assessments
    • Continuous open pit wall stability assessments
    • Geotechnical risk analysis
    • Hazard identification and timely advice on the need for changes to management plans to address geotechnical risks
    • Failure investigation, remedial engineering, and planning of post-failure rehabilitation and recovery activities
    • Geotechnical pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for the selection of mining method alternative(s)
    • Geotechnical studies for dewatering and other groundwater control measures
    • Rock and soil instrumentation and monitoring
    • Geotechnical engineering for site support facilities
    • Development of Ground Control Management Plans
    • Development of Groundwater Control Management Plans 
    • Developing geological, geotechnical, and hydrogeological conceptual models for soil, rock, ore, discontinuities, and groundwater — interconnected with databases of material properties and chronological instrument data (data management of big data and database compilation) 
    • Preparation of 3D geotechnical models, design sections and plans, and design geotechnical material properties 
    • Computer modeling using RockScience, UDEC, EDEM, Vulcan, Plaxis, GeoStudio, Soil Vision, AutoCAD, ArcGIS, BIM, project-specific computer programming, etc. 
    • Big Data and use of artificial intelligence and statistical analysis for assessing rock mass strength parameters and rock mass slope stability 
    • Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Mining, and Machine Learning (ML) for a wide range of mining risk assessments, predictions,  optimization, and systematic learning
    • Data analyses and geotechnical report preparation
    • Continuous geotechnical support from design to implementation and verification
    • Re-evaluating design assumptions (and de-risking the mine plan if required) as well as identifying opportunities to improve geotechnical aspects of the mine design as mine develops and new geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological data is being collected and performance of existing excavations is analyzed
    • Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
    • NDT for Static Plate Load Test (PLT) or Impulse Dynamic Plate Load Test (IDPLT) for determining Load-Settlement Curves (loading-unloading) and bearing capacity of shallow foundations, pavements, slabs, embankments, and fills, or QC of compacted fill
    • Static Plate Load Test for Coarse-grained Rock Fill 
    • Soil compaction testing 
    • Piling inspection and design

Mining Geotechnical Site Investigation

Mining Site Investigation and Geotechnical Characterization is the number one critical step for evaluating a mining site for geo-hazards, seismic setting, geotechnical conditions, and ore assessments. Mining geotechnical investigation is a phased study: the first phase identifies the main challenges and opportunities and defines information gaps and required follow-up field and laboratory works. A phased approach is to ensure the site investigation is carried out efficiently and economically, as well as, enabling the geotechnical engineers to evaluate alternative options and redefine the objectives of the investigations, as necessary

There are two main geotechnical site investigation categories for mining sites:

(1) — The initial geotechnical investigation is conducted before a mine is established (generally Greenfield sites) or a new shaft or tunnel is added to an existing mine. It is to ensure that mining in a particular area is safe, feasible, and economically viable. A large part of the initial geotechnical investigation consists of a desk study, collecting and analyzing core samples, and in situ and laboratory testing.

(2) — Ongoing geotechnical investigation (including monitoring) is conducted on a regular or continuous basis to ensure that the ground in and around a mine or its waste management facilities remains stable and does not create geotechnical or environmental hazards, as well as, to re-evaluate design assumptions and optimize its operation. It is mainly conducted via instrumentation and data collection in real-time. Collecting and testing of core samples may also form part of an ongoing geotechnical investigation program. 

Alpha Adroit is fully-equipped with an in-house advanced geotechnical testing laboratory in Edmonton, Alberta, as well as, mobile labs for on-site testing. Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd provides the following mining geotechnical site investigation services for mining projects, as required: 

    • Conducting desk study and field reconnaissance 
    • Greenfield, brownfield, and contaminated land site investigation 
    • Core logging, geotechnical mapping of geological structures, and 3D photogrammetric techniques (Sirovision) 
    • Rock mass classification using RMR, Q (Q-system by Barton, Lien, and Lunde), MRMR (Mining Rock Mass Rating), GSI (Geological Strength Index), and other systems 
    • Structural geology evaluation and large scale interpretation
    • Identifying, mapping, analyzing and controlling geotechnical hazards 
    • Field sampling via drilling, coring, test pitting, Shelby Tube sampling, Osterberg cell sampling, SPT tube sampling, and ground freezing techniques
    • Conducting SPT (Standard Penetration Test), CPT (Cone Penetration Test), SCPTu (Seismic Cone Penetration Test with pore-water pressure measurement), PMT (Pressuremeter Test), DCP (Dynamic Cone penetrometer Test), SCP (Static Cone Penetrometer Test), shear vane, field load test, groundwater measurement, field permeability test, hydraulic fracturing, and other testing techniques as required
    • Conducting Standard, advanced, and custom-designed lab tests on field samples or lab specimens prepared in the lab
    • Installing geotechnical instruments and monitoring field performance
    • Developing geological, geotechnical, and hydrogeological conceptual models for soil, rock, ore, discontinuities, and groundwater — interconnected with databases of material properties and chronological instrument data (data management of big data and database compilation) 
    • Preparation of 3D geotechnical models, design sections and plans, and design geotechnical material properties
    • Big Data and use of Artificial Intelligence and statistical analysis for assessing rock mass strength parameters and rock mass slope stability 
    • Data analyses and geotechnical report preparation
    • Investigating failures and evaluating the performance of ground control measures (Forensic Geotechnical Engineering)

Surface Mining — Open Pits

Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd has the following capabilities:

    • Stability analysis of natural and human-made slopes including Open Pits, embankments, dams, dikes (dykes), dumps, and fills
    • Geotechnical Engineering for mining site support facilities
    • Design of shallow and deep open excavations, open pits, waste dumps, and high embankments including structural stability of rock masses as well as the general stability of soil, rock, ore, and waste masses
    • Advanced coupled stress-deformation, seepage, seismic, and limit-equilibrium analysis
    • Design of alternative instability prevention and landslide remediation measures (45 methods available)
    • Instrumentation, monitoring, and Observational Method based analysis and design
    • Waste rock dump (rock pile) design and inspections
    • Stability and design compliance monitoring for open pits, waste dumps, and shovel face
    • Rockfall hazard assessment and analysis
    • Rock slope stability analysis, monitoring, and remediation
    • Continuous optimization of open pit and rock pile slope geometry (or slope angles) as new data becomes available
    • Containment design and stability analysis for acid rock dumps
    • Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Mining, and Machine Learning (ML) for open pit mining (surface mining) risk assessment, predictions, and optimization 

Underground Mining

Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd has the following capabilities:

    • Geotechnical Engineering for mining site support facilities
    • Ground loss and caving analysis, as well as, design for ground support and control
    • Instrumentation for principal stress measurement and interpretation, seismic and vibration monitoring, deformations, alignment, and cracks
    • Interpretation of instrumentation data
    • Numerical modeling and analysis of stress and displacements
    • Risk assessment for subsidence associated with underground mining and excavations
    • Stability and design compliance monitoring
    • Continuous optimization of ground control design as new data becomes available
    • Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Mining, and Machine Learning (ML) for underground mining risk assessment, predictions, and optimization

Tailing Facilities (Tailing Processing Plants, Tailing Transport Facilities, and Tailing Dams) 

Alpha Adroit's approach to the design, operation, and risk management for tailing facilities (such as tailing dams, in-pit dykes, and tailing transport facilities), incorporates cost-effective geotechnical engineering designs, considering water efficiency and other environmental, social, operational, and regulatory requirements. Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd has the following capabilities:

    • Geotechnical Engineering for mining site support facilities
    • Design and construction oversight of tailing dykes, dumps, stockpiles, re-sloping, and dewatering
    • Development of dyke and dump management guidelines for optimized production
    • Instrumentation and monitoring
    • Water balance analysis
    • Interpretation of instrumentation data
    • Numerical modeling for tailing dams, tailing processing plants, and tailing transportation facilities
    • Stability and design compliance monitoring
    • Continuous optimization of tailings dam construction and tailings pond operation 
    • Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Mining, and Machine Learning (ML) for tailing and mining waste risk assessment, predictions, and optimization

Other Engineering Services for Mining, Metals, and Ore Processing Plants

Please refer to the below pages for more information: 

Partnership in Mining Projects

Alpha Adroit aims to be the No. 1 Mining Geotechnical Engineering Company globally. Even though Alpha Adroit provides a wide range of services for mining geotechnical site investigation, underground mining, open pit mining slope stability monitoring, and other mining geotechnical engineering services, if there are particular mining services that are not provided by Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd (https://www.alphaadroit.ca/services/mining-geotechnical-engineering-services.html), Alpha Adroit may consider partnering with other mining engineering firms to deliver the desired expert services for your particular project requirements. 

 

— Call us Toll-Free: 1-844-4-ADROIT (1-844-423-7648) or please contact us here for more information.

 

We provide our mining geotechnical engineering services throughout Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. We also offer services in international locations directed through our headquarters office in Edmonton, Alberta. Major cities include Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Fort McMurray (AB— Alberta), Vancouver (BC— British Columbia), and Saskatoon (SK— Saskatchewan). Service requests for Mining Geotechnical Engineering Saskatchewan direct here.


— Call us Toll-Free: 1-844-4-ADROIT (1-844-423-7648 or 1-833-423-7648) or please contact us here for more information.

 

Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd provides mining geotechnical engineering, materials testing, and construction monitoring services in Canada and internationally. Please contact for availability of our services for your particular project.  Alpha Adroit Engineering Ltd is a professional member of APEGA (The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta), EGBC (Engineers and Geoscientists BC), APEGS (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan), CNSC (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission), ACSA (Alberta Construction Safety Association), and CGS (Canadian Geotechnical Society).