Custom-tailored solutions for specific tasks: geotechnical solutions for mines and tailing storage facilities

Authors: Baltruschat, M; Heinrich, M; Adnan, M; Abdo, G; Forsberg, T; Ruin, M Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_53

Cite As:
Baltruschat, M, Heinrich, M, Adnan, M, Abdo, G, Forsberg, T & Ruin, M 2025, 'Custom-tailored solutions for specific tasks: geotechnical solutions for mines and tailing storage facilities', in S Knutsson, AB Fourie & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2025: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2515_53



Abstract:
Planning and construction of new, and the rehabilitation of existing mines and tailings storage facilities, entails some challenges for mine operators, consultants and contractors when it comes to subsoil engineering. Site-specific conditions, technical requirements, geological conditions and numerous interfaces to other parts of the total system require individually tailored solutions for seepage barriers and ground improvement to generate an overall technically and economically optimised system for the specific task. Such kinds of specialist foundation engineering have been successfully carried out by BAUER for mines and tailings storage facilities in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Structural diaphragm wall shafts as deep as 120 m were installed at Woodsmith Mine (England). By comprehensive re-design, conventional shaft sinking methodology was replaced by an innovative foreshaft construction using circular diaphragm wall shafts. Plastic concrete cut-off walls with inserted sheet pile elements of considerable extent were constructed at Arab Potash Company (APC) Dike (Jordan). Through re-engineering, the originally considered single-phase system with self-hardening slurries was replaced by the two-phase system to construct a hybrid diaphragm wall made of sheet piles and plastic concrete, fulfilling both excavation support and cut-off function. A complex combination of several construction methods was applied at Diavik Diamond Mine A21 (Canada) to seal the new dike for open pit mining. Ground/soil improvement measures were executed at Red Dog Mine (USA) and at another mine in Canada. All these interventions were accompanied by comprehensive quality QA/QC and health, safety and environment measures to fulfil the strict conventions of the mining industry. Such foundation construction methods as described in the abovementioned case studies can be used at any time up to and including mine closure, to minimise the risks to the public, the environment, groundwater etc. posed by abandoned mines, and have been successfully used in the closure/enclosure of open cast coal mines in Germany and the encapsulation of former chemical industry sites.

Keywords: geotechnical solutions, seepage barrier, cut-off wall, trench cutter, encapsulation

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