Tailings & geotechnical
engineering.

Specialist engineering support across the life of a tailings facility, from design and geotechnical analysis through operational assurance, construction quality assurance, and closure.

Our work helps owners understand whether a facility is performing as intended and whether critical risks are being appropriately controlled.

A tailings storage facility embankment under construction, with a bulldozer working along the red earth crest
Embankment works at a tailings storage facility.

One facility, five stages of care.

From the first design to closure, we support a tailings facility at every stage of its life.

Scope of services

Tailings Storage Facility Design

Engineering support for the development and assessment of tailings storage facilities, including:

  • Conceptual and options studies
  • Site and storage options assessment
  • TSF layout and embankment configuration
  • Preliminary and detailed engineering design
  • Tailings deposition and beach development assessments
  • Design criteria and technical specifications
  • Design optimization and value engineering

Geotechnical Engineering & Analysis

Geotechnical assessments to understand the behavior and performance of tailings facilities and associated earthworks, including:

  • Geotechnical site investigation and interpretation
  • Foundation and embankment assessment
  • Slope stability analysis
  • Seepage and pore pressure assessment
  • Settlement and deformation assessment
  • Strength and material characterization
  • Geotechnical assessment of mine waste and water-retaining structures
Desiccation cracks across the dried surface of deposited tailings, with the facility walls behind
Desiccation cracking on a dried tailings surface.

Tailings Management & Operational Assurance

Effective tailings management requires more than a sound design. We support owners in understanding whether a facility is performing as intended and whether critical risks are being appropriately controlled. Our services include:

  • Tailings performance reviews
  • Operational risk assessments
  • Critical control identification and verification
  • Review of surveillance and monitoring programs
  • Instrumentation and monitoring data assessment
  • Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) reviews
  • Tailings management system support
  • Performance reporting and technical dashboards
  • Engineering support for operational decision-making
Tailings delivery pipelines and a valve running along the crest of a tailings storage facility
Tailings delivery pipelines and valve on the facility crest.

Construction & Quality Assurance

Engineering support during construction to help ensure that the constructed facility remains consistent with the design intent. Services may include:

  • Construction technical support
  • Review of earthworks methodology
  • Construction quality assurance and quality control support
  • Material suitability assessment
  • Field verification and inspection
  • Construction conformance review
  • Technical review of construction records
  • As-built technical assessment
  • Support during commissioning and initial operation
The lined inner slope of a tailings storage facility embankment, with a pipeline along its crest
The lined inner slope of a tailings embankment.

Closure & Long-Term Performance

Planning for closure should begin early in the life of a tailings facility. We provide engineering input to help clients understand and manage long-term geotechnical and environmental risks. Our services include:

  • Tailings closure assessments
  • Closure concept development
  • Long-term stability assessment
  • Settlement and deformation assessment
  • Cover and rehabilitation considerations
  • Erosion and surface water management
  • Post-closure risk assessment
  • Long-term monitoring and performance considerations
The cracked, dried bed of a tailings storage facility under a cloudy sky
The dried bed of a tailings storage facility.