Mining clients face unique challenges and must make many critical decisions to reduce life-cycle cost, improve environmental performance, address long-term environmental liability, simplify mine closure, and maximise post-mine land use and conversion.

Mining clients turn to Geosyntec to tackle the many complex environmental and engineering challenges throughout the life of their mines. We are geotechnical, water-resource, and mining engineers and scientists; our team includes geologists, geochemists, mine closure specialists, and hydrologists, and geohydrologists.

We often help with geotechnical, civil, and geosynthetic engineering and with tailings and water dams. In addition, we serve as subject-matter experts, conduct construction quality assurance (CQA), manage permitting, advise on hydrogeology and geochemistry, and manage mine water. We also plan and execute mine closure.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING for MINES

Our geotechnical engineers have vast experience recommending investigation, interpretation, and design methods for many kinds of civil projects, including foundations, earthworks, cut-and-fill slope stability, and retaining structures. Our recommendations and designs are accompanied by detailed geotechnical analysis using the most advanced geotechnical software.

Our services include:

• Planning and scoping studies
• Investigation supervision
• Parameter verification
• Design and analysis
• Risk and optimisation studies

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil engineering forms the backbone of our services, allowing us to combine our geotechnical and water engineering expertise to design more efficient structures. Our team also includes structural engineers, hydrological modellers, and pavement engineers who focus on getting the best from existing site conditions.

We have invested heavily in acquiring state-of-the-art modelling software to inform pragmatic decisions and help us to manage the specific risks of a particular site, rather than simply applying the relevant standards.

Our services include:

• Earthworks
• Hydrology and flood analysis
• Stormwater management and drainage design
• Water balance (using Goldsim)
• Hydraulic structures, including spillways, culverts, levees, and sediment basins
• Road, pavement, and hardstand design
• Water-management plans and erosion and sediment-control plans

GEOSYNTHETIC ENGINEERING

We lead the industry in the innovative use of geosynthetics at challenging sites, pushing the technology and materials to the limit, including using specialised geomembrane liners and geosynthetics in the coal seam gas industry, and employing geosynthetics for the bulk storage of extremely aggressive process fluids. Our storage tank designs are a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to large steel tanks at mines and refineries. We apply our deep technical understanding to choose the correct grades and to combine geosynthetics.

We rely upon the skills of world-renowned experts and researchers to use the latest products to optimise the designs for our clients.

Our services include:

• Selection and design of geomembrane liners
• Design and implementation of geocomposite drainage systems
• Design and construction of leak detection and collection systems
• Consultation and support for geostructures (including bladder tanks and floating covers)
• Planning and provision of independent liner integrity testing (LIT)
• Soil improvement using geogrids and geotextiles

TAILINGS AND WATER DAMS

We employ a dynamic and flexible design process that creates safe, constructible, fit-for-purpose assets. This method provides clients significant cost and schedule benefits while also delivering the highest level of confidence in asset integrity. We have extensive experience in geotechnical and geosynthetic engineering, water management, and water balance and tailings deposition behaviour.

We also design delivery and decant infrastructure. We specialise in the use of Muck3D to accurately predict tailings deposition and maximise storage efficiency.

Our services include:

• Dam design (OOM, PFS, FS)
• Closure design and planning
• Risk review
• Dam break analysis
• Consequence category assessment
• Tailings characterisation
• Tailings deposition modelling
• Operational planning
• Emergency planning
• Annual inspection
• Constructability review

PEER REVIEW / SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERT CONSULTATION

By involving subject-matter experts early, you improve your project's outcomes. We are experienced in contracting and procurement, project management, execution, and the commissioning and handover of projects.

Because we are dedicated to safety, we tailor our design to your site and project using a holistic management approach that keeps quality assurance front-of-mind. This allows us to consistently deliver on your requirements while proactively managing risks.

Our services include:

• Design development
• Internal and external approval support
• Interaction with operations
• Contracting and procurement strategy
• Tendering and evaluation services
• Execution planning

CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

We provide all aspects of construction engineering support, from material testing and instrumentation to survey and final project close-out reporting. On behalf of clients, we apply appropriate and accurate quality assurance and quality control testing throughout the project. We also help compile as-built reports and monitoring and maintenance plans.

Our principal engineers are contractually astute and can provide support for relevant claims and help resolve relevant contractual disputes.

Our services include:

• Inspections
• Material testing and acceptance criteria consultation
• Construction verification and certification
• Claims management and contractual dispute resolution
• Value engineering
• Design and construction of temporary structures
• Quality assurance management
• Auditing of external soil laboratories

HYDROGEOLOGICAL SERVICES

We recognise that developing and managing water resources can be one of the greatest challenges facing mines. To address these issues, we focus on efficient production, control, and management of water, working to efficiently use and reuse every drop of water and to minimise the long-term environmental liabilities that could result from the mismanaging water resources.

Our skills and capabilities in this area include the following:

• Water-resource evaluation
• Water-resource development and infrastructure
• Mine dewatering
• Digital modelling of groundwater
• Digital modelling of groundwater/surface-water interaction
• Optimization of water supplies
• Benefit analysis of conjunctive use
• Water treatment and reuse
• Water rights, substitute water-supply plans, and augmentation plans

Geosyntec approaches each site individually, tailoring investigations and design approaches to the clients’ end uses. We collaborate with clients and stakeholders to realise the full value of their site with the knowledge that working as a team creates the best solutions.