Modern Mining November 2023

CONSULTING ENGINEERING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Tailings dam planning takes centre stage in consulting space As the global mining industry works towards meeting stringent new tailings dam stan dards, SRK Consulting is highlighting some of the less predictable factors in planning these engineered landforms for the long term – emphasising the important role of consulting engineers in the design and monitoring of these facilities.

C onsulting engineers play a critical role through out the mining lifecycle, from the exploration phase to closure, having a major part in the planning, construction and maintenance of tail ings dams. “The design, construction and maintenance of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) require skills in multi-disciplinary fields, from dam siting to end of-life planning,” noted SRK Consulting Associate Partner and Principal Civil Engineer Justin Walls. “It also requires the review and certification of techni cal reports dealing with the characteristics of the TSFs, as well as the successful operation of these facilities.” Latest standards In a recent presentation to the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Walls highlighted that there are a number of “unknown factors” to be con sidered in the planning and designing of TSFs. In the latest benchmark for TSFs – the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) – it is

clear that mines should assume their TSFs will be permanent landforms. “Importantly, the GISTM requires that factors like climate change be considered in the design,” said Walls. “While there is an emerging consensus on what this means for the next 80-100 years, there is still considerable divergence in what current models tell us may happen to the climate after that.” The GISTM, he pointed out, states that tailings facilities should be designed for mine closure, as “true future engineered landforms” that will be physi cally and chemically stable for the long term. Indeed, the standard requires that TSF owners ensure that “short term financial or operational priorities do not prevail over better design and operational practices”. Rainfall risk Much of the concern is focused on the climate change-induced uncertainties in predicting future rainfall patterns, as water management is a key risk area for TSF stability. He said the prospect of higher rainfall levels directly raises the facility’s failure risk, either with too much water building up within the

SRK Consulting Associate Partner and Principal Civil Engineer, Justin Walls.

Consulting engineers play a critical role in the planning, construction and maintenance of tailings dams.

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28  MODERN MINING  November 2023