Geotechnical Model

A geotechnical model is the fundamental basis for the design of open pit and quarry excavations. A fully understood and representative geotechnical model will provide information on the engineering characteristics of the rock mass, defining how it is going to behave during and after excavation Read more... about Adding value using representative geotechnical models for mine design

Pascua-Lama is the first bi-national mining project in the world, located between 3800 and 5200m.a.s.l. on the borderline between Chile and Argentina. Pascua lies on the Chilean side, in Huasco Province in the Atacama region, while Lama lies on the Argentinean side, in the Iglesia department in San Juan province. The project is developed by Barrick Gold and consists of the open-pit mine of one of the world's largest gold and silver deposits, with more than fifteen million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves and six hundred and seventy-five million ounces of silver contained within the gold reserves, as of December 31st 2013 and official reports. The project is still in the construction stage. Future production will include open-pit extraction from Chilean and Argentinean sides, primary crushing in  Pascua, transportation  of crushed  ore  to  Lama  through a 4.0km-long underground tunnel, stockpiling, processing and final disposal at the tailings dam in Lama. Site lithology can be characterized as superficial alluvial or colluvial  soils  generally  followed  by  a  competent  cemented granular  stratum named ferricrete which lies on top of a highly resistant igneous bedrock, mainly andesite, diorite and dacite. The paper describes the design and construction of some of the excavations, foundations, slopes, fills, retaining walls, MSE walls and CLSM  fills,  and  the  challenges  imposed  by  high  altitude,  steep  landscape, extremely cold winter temperatures and the complexity of the construction site. Read more... about Geotechnical challenges of the biggest mining project in Argentina

Integration of multiple characterization programs may require greater investment but such investment adds considerable value Read more... about Integrated Approach to Water Resource Characterization for Mineral Exploration Projects

Quarry slope design often relies on limited geotechnical data. The use of down-hole televiewers to capture data is becoming increasingly routine as they provide accurate images of the borehole walls.  Read more... about Rock Slope Stability

It has been called a “Dark Art”. More than any other field of engineering, mining geotechnics embraces uncertainty. Comparatively, information is sparse, scope can be fickle, and compromise is a constant companion. Read more... about Mining Geotechnics: A Glimpse into the Dark Art

The geotechnical model is the cornerstone of any mining geotechnical design and as such the confidence level and reliability of the geotechnical model is paramount . Read more... about Geotechnical Models and Data Confidence in Mining Geotechnical Design