Mining Geotechnics

Specialist Mining Geotechnics Consulting and Contractor Services

USK offers mining companies and mining consulting engineers a mix of specialist geotechnics professional consulting and contractor services to enable site characterization, design and construction implementation. Our solutions are geared towards ensuring minimization of mining-related risks and data driven decision making and risk management. Our teams (in-house and associated) of experts include geotechnical, civil, soil, and rock mechanics engineers as well as engineering geologists, all of whom work closely with our structural geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, tailings, geoenvironmental, mine engineering, and mine closure groups. This integrated approach enables us to develop effective and innovative solutions to our clients’ specific problems.

Slope Stability

Slope stability is an important consideration in the management of many types of mining operations or civil engineering projects. Slope Stability – By definition, slope stability is a measure of how resistant a natural or man-made slope is to failure due to collapse or sliding.Slope stability is an important consideration in the management of many types of mining operations or civil engineering projects. For example:

Surface/open pit mines
Tailing Storage Facilities (Tailings Dams)
Tailings dams
Embankments
Waste Dumps and Landfills
Large excavations

Due to greater demand, as well as more productive methods and equipment, open pit mines are deeper and larger; tailings dams, waste rock embankments and heap leach facilities are higher; and overall, there is a constant move towards higher, deeper, and steeper. This makes assessing and monitoring slope stability critically important, and this activity should form part of the overall productivity and safety management strategy of all mines and other large excavations.

Aside from assessing and monitoring existing slopes, whether man-made or natural, another important consideration when it comes to slope stability is proper slope design. Successful slope design requires the gathering of information regarding the site’s geology and characteristics (e.g. the properties and status of rock mass, soil, and groundwater in and around the excavation), interpretation of this information, and the development a design that takes this information into account.

Assessing, monitoring, and designing for slope stability requires great skill, expertise, and experience. Within USK and our associate geotechnical and civil engineers, we have team members who possess all of the attributes required to add tremendous value to your operation by advising on and assisting with a range of slope stability issues.

In-Situ Testing for Mine Geotechnics

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT)
Core Orientation
Vane Shear Testing
Pressuremeter Testing
Flat Dilatometer Testing
Seismic dilatometer Testing

Geotechnical Instrumentation & Data

Ground movement induced by a multiplicity of factors is one of the most significant threats to safety and environment in mining facilities both operational and closed as it can lead to slope and embarkment collapses and tailings failure. When these things happen they cause cataclysmic impact on human life, the environment and financial loss.

Mine Safety demands for advanced early warning systems capable of timeous detection hazards with 24/7 continuous monitoring. A multi line of evidence approach in tailings characterization. An agile streamlined data driven decision making support platform and Cloud Based data storage and remote communication. This is what we continue to develop and provide to our clients in the business of slope and tailings safety and management.

At USK we have dedicated teams and equipment to carry out drilling, installation, testing and commissioning of a wide range geotechnical instrumentation and cloud based realtime monitoring systems. Our instrumentation range includes but not to the following: