Publication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: December 2019
Issue Title: Top Five Trends in 2019
Tailings management fell directly into the spotlight in 2019 following a spate of tailings storage facility disasters over the last 24 months.
2019 saw a ground swell of focus around the safety of tailings storage facilities (TSF) in the mining industry – one that has been building over the last five years – following a series of large and devastating failures.
Read MoreAuthor: Peter D. Duryea
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2019
Date: November 17–20, 2019
Proper design of a heap leach facility requires the development of a leach ore loading plan that can accommodate its ultimate capacity. The loading plan and associated capacity assessments will be more representative of actual field performance if they consider the variation in leach ore dry unit weight over time as the heap is loaded and the leach ore compresses under self-weight. That can be accomplished by careful evaluation of results from laboratory testing of representative samples of the leach ore.
Read MoreAuthor: C Zhang and E Lillie
Conference: SANCOLD 2019 Annual Conference
Date: November 6-8, 2019
This paper deals with selecting the optimum scheme capacity for a site using the established economic optimisation method of total revenue – total cost approach and marginal analysis, which mitigates the bias in selecting the scheme capacity.
Read MoreWebinar Moderator: Mining Review Africa
Date: August 21, 2019
Should upstream tailings storage facilities be banned?
Upstream constructed tailings storage facilities (TSFs) have been banned in Chile, Peru and Brazil and there are many other jurisdictions where such designs may not be accepted by Authorities, especially in wet climates and in highly seismically active areas.
Read MoreAuthor: Diego Inzunza, Jorge León
Conference: Tailings 2019
Date: July 10-12, 2019
In the case of run-out analyses, we present a sensitivity analysis of the effect of the degree of consolidation at the time of a dam breach on the run-out distance potential. The results show a decrease of up to 16% in the maximum area reached by the outflow due to the increase in the degree of consolidation. The incorporation of the relative effect of densification methods and the resulting change in rheology represents a progress in understanding the critical elements that drive the potential for downstream impact of a dam breach event.
Read MorePublication: Global Business Reports
Issue: July 2019
Issue Title: British Columbia and Vancouver as a Global Mining Hub 2019
Days after the all-share merger between Barrick and Randgold became effective in January 2019, Newmont Mining Corporation entered into a definitive agreement with Goldcorp in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at US$10 billion to create Newmont Goldcorp, as Newmont announced it will move its North American regional operations office from Nevada to Vancouver.
Read MoreAuthor: G. Sotelo, S. Orellana, J. Macedo, H. Jaffal, G. Espinoza, Z. Xu, K. Stokoe, C. El Mohtar
Conference: 7th lnternational Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
Date: June 17-20, 2019
This paper presents a summary of the geotechnical characterization performed on a deposit of collapsible soil at a proposed mine site near the southern coast of Peru, with particular emphasis on the dynamic characteristics. The site is located in a very high seismic area, which makes the dynamic characterization of these materials of primary importance.
Read MoreAuthor: V. Martin, M. Al-Mamun, A. Small
Conference: 87th Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams
Date: June 9-14, 2019
The CDA Technical Bulletin for TDBA will provide the key steps that should be undertaken. The differences between water retaining and tailings dams will be addressed. The presence of a supernatant pond and the potential of the tailings to liquefy and flow, are the key parameters influencing the runout potential and outflow volume. The physical processes occurring during a TDBA will be discussed with guidance provided on estimating the volume of released tailings during a breach and predicting where the tailings could flow. The TDBA is planned to be issued in 2019.
Read MoreAuthor: A. Adams, C. Hall, K. Brouwer
Conference: 87th Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams
Date: June 9-14, 2019
This paper provides a case study for the decommissioned Nye Tailings Impoundment at the Stillwater Mine. The closure plan includes capping the loose, saturated tailings with a thick waste rock layer to stabilize the impounded tailings, mitigate potential dusting and provide for water management.
Read MoreAuthor: R. Greyling, E. Scherman, S. Mottram
Conference: 87th Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams
Date: June 9-14, 2019
This paper and presentation will cover the design methods and standards applied to recent projects that have incorporated RMC weirs and the construction techniques that were successfully implemented. Case studies of RMC Dams constructed for water supply reservoirs and a remote (11 MW) hydroelectric power project will be presented and discussed.
Read MoreAuthor: K.L Ainsley, B. Otis, E. Chong
Conference: 87th Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams
Date: June 9-14, 2019
This paper will explore the key considerations for the development of a TSF emergency spillway. The spillway development at the Phu Kham Copper-Gold Operation (operated by Phu Bia Mining Limited) located in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic will be used to illustrate these considerations.
Read MoreAuthor: G.L. Coetzee, S.J. van Vuuren
Conference: 87th Annual Meeting of the International Commission on Large Dams
Date: June 9-14, 2019
A set of VC-Ogee design curves for these parameters, for an asymmetrical approach channel with side contraction of the spillway, is presented in this paper. Further design curves to accommodate symmetrical, contracted and uncontracted approach channels as well as combinations of these conditions, will be made available in future.
Read MoreAuthor: Andrew Copeland and Justin Teixeira
Conference: Paste 2019
Date: May 8-10, 2019
The diamond industry has been disposing of its coarse tailings using conveyor and stacker systems for many years. The process plant typically generates two tailings products, a grit fraction (sand) and a coarse fraction (gravel), which are often combined on one dump. In some cases, the dump is stable with a single steep slope angle. However, in other situations a composite slope forms with settlement and intermittent slumping behaviour, this impacts on both design and operation.
Read MoreWebinar Moderator: ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa
Date: April 11, 2019
Is hydropower a viable option to support mining operations’ energy needs?
Whether pumped hydroelectric, run-of-river, or small hydropower systems, there is a growing need to use Africa’s vast hydro potential to boost reliability of power in remote areas, and specifically for the mining industry. The potential is there; however, it’s not without its financial, operational and environmental challenges.
Author: G.L. Coetzee, S.J. van Vuuren
Conference: AFRICA 2019
Date: April 2-4, 2019
Neckartal is the largest dam in Namibia, with a full supply volume of 853 x 106m3, exceeding the volume of what was previously the largest dam, Hardap, by a factor of three. Projects of this magnitude need innovative construction technology to be implemented successfully. In the case of Neckartal, a special challenge was its isolated location in the arid climate of southern Namibia, with irregular, high peak runoffs. During the design of the dam, two physical models were built. Results from the physical model testing were used to improve the safety of the spillway and reduce potential scour erosion downstream.
Read MoreAuthor: Edwin Lillie, Guido Scalzi
Conference: AFRICA 2019
Date: April 2-4, 2019
This paper gives a description of the hydro mechanical equipment for the project, the contractual arrangements to procure and install it, some of the important specifications used for the design and manufacture of the equipment and the quality assurance methods used to ensure that the equipment meets the long-term project requirements.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: April 2019
98-year old proudly South African engineering and environmental consulting firm Knight Piésold (SA) has strategically committed to expanding its footprint in Africa on the back of its growing track record across the continent. Because the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in particular remains a strategic region for the company, it has repositioned its local office to comply with the country’s new sub-contracting legislation and is consequently well placed to take advantage of new business opportunities on its doorstep, environmental section manager AMELIA BRIEL tells LAURA CORNISH.
Read MorePublication: Construction World
Issue: February 2019
Upon completion, the Neckartal Dam will be the largest dam in Namibia, with a full supply volume of 853 Mm3, exceeding the volume of the existing largest dam, Hardap Dam by a factor of nearly three. Projects of this magnitude need innovative construction technology in order to be executed successfully, Neckartal more so due to its desolate location in the arid climate of southern Namibia.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: January 2019
On the back of an “exceptionally good year” in 2018, 97-year old proudly South African engineering and environmental consulting firm Knight Piésold (SA) is looking to build further on its strong achievements in 2019. Thanks to its fully transformed, Level 1 BBBEE, 57% black ownership structure status and growing office footprint in Africa, the company is well positioned to service the entire African continent – using its award-winning technical experts to deliver industry revolutionising solutions for the mining sector, technical director for mining ANDREW COPELAND tells LAURA CORNISH.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: November/December 2018
Serving the growing needs of the City of eThekwini’s industrial and residential sectors is an expanding network of steel pipelines that traverse the hilly terrain common in this region. The challenging topography calls for innovative design and construction methodologies, which had a direct bearing on the pipeline reticulation system adopted.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: November/December 2018
The 2018 IMESA/CESA Excellence Awards recognised municipal infrastructure projects that demonstrated significant achievement through innovation, design or construction.
Presented at the 82nd IMESA Conference, the 2018 awards recognised outstanding achievements in municipal infrastructure, demonstrating the best of civil engineering as a science and how engineering enhances the lives of local communities
Read MorePublication: The Mercury
Issue: November 30, 2018
MULTI award-winning civil engineering consultancy, Knight Piésold has proved that it is possible to become a truly transformed multi-national organisation that embraces South Africa’s B-BBEE imperatives as responsible corporate citizens. Having recently achieved Level 1 B-BBEE accreditation through the training and development of local staff and shareholders as well as enterprise development and participation in meaningful CSI initiatives, the 97-year old firm is a proudly South African company that invests its profits locally.
Read MoreAuthor: Vicci Schoeman
Conference: SANCOLD Annual Conference and AGM 2018
Date: November 7-9, 2018
Most of the theory used in tailings storage facility breach studies was developed for water dams and are not fully applicable to tailings storage facility failures. This paper describes a conceptual alternative formulation of the elevation versus volume curve of the cone of depression that forms during a tailings dam breach.
Read MoreAuthor: Edwin Lillie, Elvin Pesch, Louis Barnard
Conference: SANCOLD Annual Conference and AGM 2018
Date: November 7-9, 2018
The construction of Neckartal Dam started in September 2013. The full-scale trial section was done in August 2015 and the first RCC was placed on the dam foundation in October 2015. The RCC placement was completed 32 months later in May 2018. This paper gives a brief history of the RCC through the various project phases.
Read MoreAuthor: Antonio Sotil, Amy Adams, Craig Hall
Conference: 2nd International Congress on Planning for Closure of Mining Operations
Date: November 7-9, 2018
Many tailings impoundments provide long‐term storage for saturated, semi‐fluid fine grained materials. Closure of these tailings impoundments represents an ongoing priority and a potential challenge for owners and professionals due to the potentially fluid nature of the impounded tailings in the event of a hypothetical dam breach.
Read MoreAuthor: Patrick Tembo, Gibson Mupeyo, Chalwe Bulaya, Boston Katongo
Conference: Zambia Chamber of Mines’ 4th National Conference on Occupational Health, Safety and Environment
Date: November 1-2, 2018
Fatal and life threatening incidences related to mine waste facilities occurring in the mining sector worldwide are a source of concern to the industry. Despite the implementation of management strategies and enforcement of relevant pieces of legislations, fatalities associated with the operations of mine waste facilities have continued to befall the mining sector.
Read MoreAuthor: Albertus Du Plessis
Conference: 6th International Mining and Industrial Waste Management Conference
Date: October 29-31, 2018
One of the largest diversified natural resource companies required a tailings storage facility (TSF) as part of the new Zinc mine in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The concept design incorporated a spigot deposition system, but due to footprint and cost limitations, the final design was changed to a centerline and upstream constructed, cyclone deposition method, which provides an acceptably stable outer zone, built from cyclone underflow (coarse tailings) with cyclone overflow (finer tailings) stored in the internal basin. This paper discusses some of the design aspects and challenges faced during the design process.
Read MoreAuthor: Antonie Van Der Westhuizen
Conference: 6th International Mining and Industrial Waste Management Conference
Date: October 29-31, 2018
One of the largest diversified natural resource companies required a 110-hectare tailings storage facilities (TSF) as part of the new Zinc mine in the Northern Cape, South Africa. This facility and return water dam (RWD) were required to be covered by 1.5mm HDPE smooth and 1.5mm HDPE double textured geomembrane in specific areas to make up the barrier system. The main objective of the barrier system is to contain the slurry being deposited to ultimately prevent groundwater contamination.
Read MoreAuthor: Andrew Copeland
Conference: 6th International Mining and Industrial Waste Management Conference
Date: October 29-31, 2018
The term Engineer of Record (EoR) is commonly used in North America to define the responsible person for design and construction phases of a project. For tailings storage facilities (TSF’s), an EoR is often appointed as the person technically responsible for seeing that a TSF is built according to the design. The use of this appointment has increased due to recent high profile TSF failures, and has spread to countries outside of North America, especially for mining companies that are based or listed there. Recent updates to national/international TSF guidelines suggest appointing an EoR is good practice.
Read MoreAuthor: Andries Strauss
Conference: 6th International Mining and Industrial Waste Management Conference
Date: October 29-31, 2018
A failure occurred along the Selati Tailings Dam decant outlet conduit in February 2013. Emergency response procedures ensured the integrity of the facility. Improved engineered remedial measures were then executed. A trade-off study was conducted to find the preferred option for replacement of the decant system.
Read MoreAuthor: John Steele, Robert Greyling, Egbert Scherman
Conference: Hydro 2018
Date: October 15-17, 2018
Throughout the world, there has been an increasing trend toward development of low impact small to medium sized hydropower schemes by Independent Power Producers (IPP’s) and Private Developers. In this paper, the authors present the design and construction of Azambi Hydropower Project, the third HPP developed by the Kibali Gold Mine, located in the remote north-east province of Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. The mines concession is not serviced by an electricity utility provider but is favourably enveloped by large untapped rivers.
Read MoreAuthor: Edwin Lillie, Robert Greyling
Conference: Hydro 2018
Date: October 15-17, 2018
Legislation in the DRC has recently changed to allow Independent Power Producers (IPP) to compete in the local power market. To this end, Kipay Investments appointed Knight Piésold and Ingerop Consulting Engineers to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Sombwe Hydropower Project in late 2016. The project is located approximately 290 km north of Lubumbashi in the Katanga Province of the DRC.
Read MoreAuthor: Katrina Wechselberger, Violeta Martin, Egbert Scherman, Alana Shewan
Conference: CDA 2018 Annual Conference
Date: October 13-18, 2018
A 10 m high embankment dam located 4 km upstream of a populated area was assessed during its Dam Safety Review as requiring an upgrade to the spillway capacity to comply the current CDA Dam Safety Guidelines and BC Dam Safety Regulations. At normal operating levels, the Dam stores approximately 31,000 m3 of water. The Dam was completed in 1966 and has been successfully operated by the Dam Owner without incident for over 50 years as a critical part of the water distribution system.
Read MoreAuthor: Amy Adams, Craig Hall, Ken Brouwer
Conference: CDA 2018 Annual Conference
Date: October 13-18, 2018
Many tailings impoundments provide long-term storage for saturated, semi-fluid fine grained materials. Closure of these tailings impoundments represents an ongoing priority and a potential challenge for owners and professionals due to the potentially fluid nature of the impounded tailings in the event of a hypothetical dam breach.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: October 2018
The mining industry in South Africa – which extends back more than a century – is grappling with historical legacies that have been put under the spotlight as the world becomes more environmentally conscious and responsible. Tailings management in particular, an area neglected in the past, is now a priority. While lining have become the preferred option to reduce possible environmental impact of tailings material they pose their own set of risks which urgently need to be monitored and addressed, Knight Piésold technical director for mining Andrew Copeland tells Laura Cornish.
Read MoreAuthor: Paul W. Ridlen, Thomas Kerr, Gilberto Dominquez, Jean-Baptiste Varnier
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2018
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2018
The Constancia tailings facility, located in the Peruvian Andes, was designed to store more than 450 million tonnes of copper tailings in an area of relatively high seismicity and seasonally high rainfall. The tailings dam, currently more than 100 meters high, is constructed of compacted rockfill sourced from glacial outwash, quarried sandstone, and open-pit waste rock, and will ultimately be raised to a height greater than 170 meters.
Author: Allen Gipson, Jason Taylor, Joseph Chilson, Brittany Hutchings
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2018
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2018
From inception in the late 1980s, the Juniper Tailings Storage Facility has been constructed in stages as a massive, compacted, rock fill, modified centerline embankment to retain fine grained predominately silt tailing. The initial cells were designed to contain 8 million tons.
Author: Fanny Herrera, Luis Chahua, Elio Murrugarra, David Reaño
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2018
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2018
The Pampa Verde waste dump expansion is highly driven by the following constraints: (1) relatively limited options for laterally extending the existing buttress; (2) the need to satisfy both static and seismic stability; (3) the need to properly select high-strength reinforcement products; (4) the importance of conducting material-specific tests to characterize the soil-geosynthetic interaction; and (5) the complex geometry of the overall system, particularly its global stability.
Author: Charlie Harrison
Conference: GeoEdmonton 2018
Date: September 23-26, 2018
The overall probability of failure of a hard-rock slope is assessed using a combination of the First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and the Hunting Equation Method. FORM is used to assess the probability for each potential failure mode, which considers the correlation of the variables (e.g. discontinuity friction angle and cohesion). The overall probability of failure of the rock slope is then assessed using the Hunting Equation Method by combining every potential failure mode’s probability of failure.
Read MorePublication: Engineering & Mining Journal
Author: Steven Lange
Date: July 2018
Metals loading adversely impacts the Animas River in the area around Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado. The metals of concern include iron, aluminum, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, arsenic and nickel. The metals loading in the Animas River is due to acid rock drainage that is created when sulphide minerals are exposed to air and water to produce sulphuric acid. The acidic water can dissolve area minerals and then deposit metals in rivers like the Animas. Metals loading in the Animas River has limited aquatic life, including the trout fishery downstream from Silverton.
Read MorePublication: Phalaborwa Herald
Date: July 2018
The goal of the CESA (Consulting Engineers South Africa) Job Shadowing Initiative, is to expose and entice school learners to the engineering field, but more so into Consulting and Environmental Engineering.
By giving them an experience like no other, learners get a chance to imagine, live, work and play Engineering, opening their minds to a world of possibilities and opportunities.
Read MoreAuthor: Alana Shewan, Jaime Cathcart
Conference: Mine Water Solutions 2018
Date: June 12-15, 2018
Water plays a key role in the operation of mining projects, and it is essential that water management facilities be designed to manage the inflows and outflows required for proper operations, as well as accommodate any unpredictable runoff resulting from storms events. The amount of water available varies by year, season, and day, so how do you design for this?
Author: James Haley, Pierre Friele
Conference: Geohazards 7
Date: June 3-6, 2018
The Upper Lillooet River Hydroelectric Facility is situated approximately 60 km northwest of Pemberton in southwest British Columbia, Canada. The site is located on the north side of the Mount Meager Volcanic Complex (MMVC), which comprises weak, locally hydrothermally altered rocks and is especially prone to large (>1 Mm3) landslides.
Author: Charlie Harrison
Conference: Geohazards 7
Date: June 3-6, 2018
The First Order Reliability Method (FORM) is a semi-probabilistic reliability analysis method devised to evaluate the reliability of a system. The stability of the system must be a function of two or more probabilistic variables that have a mean, and standard deviation. The correlation between the probabilistic variables must be determined, which can be difficult, as will be show, independent variables can be functions of independent variables.
Publication: Mining Review Africa
Author: Tania Oosthuizen
Date: June 2018
In order to keep up with the moving target of environmental legislation, the South African mining industry needs to keep its pencils sharp. Not only is environmental compliance a confusing business given the rapidly changing legislation imposed by different environmental authorities, but it is also becoming an ever more risky business with legislation becoming more stringent, more prescriptive and better enforced.
Read MoreAuthor: Valeria Ramirez, Olimpio Angeles, Michael W. West
Conference: 15th Sinkhole Conference, NCKRI Symposium 6
Date: April 2-6, 2018
The worldwide occurrence of carbonate rocks is extensive, and Peru is no exception. Many mining facilities are located in or on carbonate rocks. Under specific conditions, carbonate rocks show varying degrees of karstification, which represent a potential high risk of damage or failure to mine facilities, especially tailings and water impoundments due to subsidence or internal erosion problems.
Publication: Engineering News
Author: Tasneem Bulbulia
Date: April 6, 2018
Consulting firm Knight Piésold’s sustainable, quality process ethos across the board, from executing projects to implementing transformation, has enabled the company to maintain its competitive advantage amid a currently turbulent consulting engineering industry.
Author: Steven Lange
Date: January 2018
Metals loading adversely impacts the Animas River in the area around Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado. (Church, et al., 2007). The metals of concern include iron, aluminum, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, arsenic, and nickel. (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007 at 7). The metals loading in the Animas River is due to acid rock drainage. (Yager and Bove, 2007). Acid rock drainage refers to acidic water that is created when sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water to produce sulphuric acid.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: January 2018
Environment consulting specialist Knight Piésold is today recognised as the ‘consultant of choice’ in the mining sector – thanks largely to the skills sets and experience it has built up over almost a century (96 years to be exact). This has positioned the firm as a leader is its fields of expertise and enabled it to stay fully in tune with the changing needs of the countries and landscapes it operates in. This is highly pertinent to the mining industry and explains the company’s on-going success, despite the lingering economically challenging environment.
Read MoreAuthor: GL Coetzee
Conference: SANCOLD Conference 2017
Date: November 15-17, 2017
Young engineers are well equipped with knowledge regarding the design, engineering, and construction of Category III dams, but require in-field experience to develop both their project and program management skills for such an undertaking. The figures and statistics of these large scale projects can be overwhelming and it can often take months for young engineers to find their feet during the construction phase of such a project.
Author: K. F. Morrison, R. E. Snow, P. W. Ridlen, C. N. Hatton
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste
Date: November 5-8, 2017
One would think the term “Engineer of Record (EoR)” is an easy concept to grasp. For most public infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, bridges, buildings, water dams, etc.), the Design Engineer and the EoR are one and the same. This concept has also been applied, to some degree and in a similar manner, to tailings storage facilities (TSFs). However, TSFs do not apply a “conventional” construction process, nor do they adhere to a typical construction schedule.
Author: Bryan F. Ulrich, Jeffrey G. Coffin
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste
Date: November 5-8, 2017
In the mining industry, it is becoming relatively common for filtered mine tailings to be stacked to a significant height (>100m) with little to no compaction. The resulting deposit can be loose and potentially unsaturated. Characterization of these filtered tailings facilities for slope stability and deformation under earthquake loading conditions can be complex due to the potentially unsaturated state. This paper presents a summary of test results from the assessment of a filtered tailings facility which is located in Latin America.
Author: Amy Adams, Daniel Friedman, Scott Davidson
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste
Date: November 5-8, 2017
Historical tailings facilities often contains materials that have a consistency that ranges from fluid to solid, depending on a number of factors such as particle size, depth, drain-age, and depositional history. Historical impoundments may contain saturated semi-fluid mate-rials at depth, long after tailings deposition has ceased and after surface reclamation has been completed.
Publication: Canadian Consulting Engineer
Issue: October/November 2017
Issue Title: 2017 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
The 16 MW Box Canyon Hydroelectric project may have the most hydraulically complex design of any run-of-river hydroelectric project in North America, if not the world. It has nine intake structures on different creeks and tributaries, all feeding into a single, high-pressure penstock that directs water to the powerhouse containing a six-jet vertical axis Pelton turbine generating unit.
Read MoreAuthor: Amy Adams, Daniel Friedman, Ken Brouwer, Scott Davidson
Conference: CDA Annual Conference
Date: October 14-20, 2017
Historical tailings impoundments may contain saturated semi-fluid materials at depth, long after tailings deposition has ceased and after surface reclamation has been completed. These saturated materials can liquefy and flow if the impoundment is compromised. A historical tailings pile can also present a risk to an underground mine development if there is potential for the mine development to generate a propagating zone of cracking and/or surface subsidence that ultimately interacts with the tailings impoundment.
Publication: Hydro Review
Issue: September 2017
Recent small low-head hydropower development in the U.S. has occurred at non-powered dams and irrigation canals, a significant break from historical development at sites without existing hydraulic and dam structures. The latter is termed greenfield development or new stream-reach development (NSD). These sites are the bulk of the existing technical hydropower resource potential in the country. The financial viability and feasibility of NSD is influenced by: development risk and uncertainty associated with the cost and duration of the licensing process, the cost of site-specific design and customization of equipment and structures, and evolving environmental constraints on design and operation.
Read MorePublication: International Journal on Hydropower & Dams
Issue: Issue Four, August 2017
The 16 MW Box Canyon hydroelectric project ranks among the most hydraulically complex of any run-of-river hydro project in North America, if not the world. The project, which is located in the McNab Creek watershed, 40 km northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, has nine intake structures on different creeks and tributaries. All nine feed into a single, high-pressure penstock that directs water to the powerhouse containing a single six-jet vertical axis Pelton generating unit.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: August 2017
Water management is and will remain one of the primary challenges on any mine. As legislation grows increasingly stringent and corporate standards constantly improve, it is becoming more and more difficult and costly to adequately manage water within tailings storage facility (TSF) circuits. ANDRIES STRAUSS, sector manager: mining for Level 2 BBBEE environment consulting specialist Knight Piésold, discusses some of these challenges and demonstrates some of its expert solutions offerings through a number of recent projects.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: August 2017
At Knight Piésold Consulting, one of the founding principles of the firm’s success over the past 96 years has been its focus on human resource development across its global workforce. This focus includes promoting diversity in terms of culture, leadership style, ethnicity and the way opportunities are developed for engineers. Academics are a baseline entry requirement, but from there, the playing fields are levelled when it comes to mentoring and growing pure engineering talent.
Read MoreAuthor: Michael F. Riemer, Jorge Macedo, Orlando Roman, Solange Paihua
Conference: 3rd International Conference on Performance-based Design in Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (PBD-III)
Date: July 16-19, 2017
In order to increase the capacity of an existing mine tailings impoundment in the Peruvian Andes, a rockfill dike which will be partially supported on different types of older tailings is being raised.
Author: Gavi Sotelo, Solange Paihua
Conference: Tailings 2017: 4th International Seminar
Date: July 12-14, 2017
Collapsible soils are common in arid regions near the southern coast of Peru and often have a loose, metastable and brittle structure. They are usually of an eolian or alluvial origin with very low moisture content, negative pore pressures, and interparticle contacts that are partially cemented by salts. Thus, making them prone to sudden and substantial settlements and loss of shear strength by quenching of the negative pore pressures and dissolution of the salts if the moisture content is increased.
Author: Amy Adams, Daniel Friedman, Ken Brouwer, Scott Davidson
Conference: ICOLD 2017 Annual Meeting
Date: July 3-7, 2017
Historical tailings impoundments may contain saturated semi-fluid materials at depth, long after tailings deposition has ceased and after surface reclamation has been completed. These saturated materials can liquefy and flow if the impoundment is breached. A historical tailings pile can represent a risk to an underground mine development if there is potential for the mine development to generate a propagating zone of cracking and/or surface subsidence that ultimately interacts with the historical tailings impoundment.
Author: Craig Nistor, Violeta Martin
Conference: ICOLD 2017 Annual Meeting
Date: July 3-7, 2017
The 1100 MW Site C Hydroelectric Project involves the construction of a large dam on the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project considered technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects and described the predicted effects in the context of previous hydroelectric development and future climate change. Studies were based on long-term field observations and comprehensive modeling.
Author: Alana Shewan, Anna Akkerman, Violeta Martin
Conference: 85th Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams
Date: July 3-7, 2017
Following the recent tailings dam breaches at Mount Polley, Canada, and Samarco, Brazil, the mining industry and regulatory agencies worldwide increased the demand for tailings dam breach analyses and flood inundation mapping. The results of such studies are used to determine the hazard classification of a dam through the assessment of dam failure consequences, to support emergency preparedness and response planning, and to inform environmental assessments.
Read MoreAuthor: Peter Drown, Andrew Sanna, Norm Bishop
Conference: HydroVision 2017
Date: June 27-30, 2017
Physical civil construction is the largest single component of new hydropower development cost, from 40%-90% of total capital cost depending on the project size (HRF/ORNL, 2014). Risk associated with civil-related schedule and corresponding budget overruns for new projects are significant, and can be due to weather and river flood events, contracting delays, major equipment lead-times, and other factors caused by the lengthy civil and equipment installation construction periods.
Author: Rob Adams
Conference: HydroVision 2017
Date: June 27-30, 2017
Metro Vancouver (MV) is a public works organization that serves 18 municipalities (over 2 million people) in the greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Amongst numerous other functions including waste collection and disposal, one of its primary tasks is to reliably provide clean, potable drinking water (over 1.1 million m3 per day average) to the residents of the cities served through a system of reservoirs, treatment facilities, pump stations and piping networks.
Author: Benoit Otis
Conference: HydroVision 2017
Date: June 27-30, 2017
The 16 MW Box Canyon Hydroelectric facility, located in southwest British Columbia, Canada was commissioned in early 2016. Knight Piésold Ltd. was retained by Box Canyon Hydro Corporation (a subsidiary of Elemental Energy) for the development phase, detail design and construction phases of the facility.
Author: Toby Perkins
Conference: HydroVision 2017
Date: June 27-30, 2017
The Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project is a 16 MW run-of-river facility located in the McNab Creek watershed on the north side of Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada. The Project includes intake structures on three of the tributaries to McNab Creek (Box Canyon, Marty and Cascara Creeks) as well as six minor tributary diversions, all of which feed into a single high pressure penstock to direct water to the powerhouse.
Publication: Canadian Geotechnical Journal
Author: P. K. Robertson, A. Viana de Fonesca, B. Ulrich, J. Coffin
Date: June 2, 2017
It is becoming increasingly common in the mining industry for either crushed ore or filtered mine waste to be stacked to a significant height (>100 m) in a moist state with little compaction, resulting in deposits that can be potentially loose and unsaturated. This paper presents a case history describing the characterization of stacked filtered tailings at a mine site in South America.
Publication: International Water Power & Dam Construction
Issue: June 2017
As members of the industry prepare to attend Hydrovision International in Denver, Colorado, we provide a roundup of some of the latest news from exhibitors attending the event.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: June 2017
Adaptability, professionalism, excellence, sustainability, and teamwork are all core values that define the way Knight Piésold engages and grows its presence in the engineering and environmental sectors. These values also form the basis for the company’s talent acquisition strategy, as well as its training and development programmes at all levels, with a major focus in South Africa on selecting, mentoring and growing young engineers through to professional registration. “It’s an exciting journey for our young candidates and we have structured programmes in place to get the best results,” explains Mevashnee Naidoo, human resources director, Knight Piésold.
Read MorePublication: City of Tshwane
Issue: May 2017
Though it may be a global company in terms of operational footprint – with offices and projects in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa – Knight Piésold remains strongly grounded in its home country. Founded in 1921, it is the oldest consulting engineering firm in South Africa and has, over the last 96 years, staved off buy-outs by international behemoths to remain a truly independent and proudly South African organisation. While the firm initially cut its teeth in the mining sector, it organically expanded to become a multidisciplinary consulting firm of distinction.
Read MoreAuthor: Alana Shewan, Anna Akkerman, Violeta Martin
Conference: CSCE Annual Conference 2017 / 23rd Canadian Hydrotechnical Conference
Date: May 31-June 3, 2017
Stream temperature is an important indicator of habitat quality for fish of all life stages. However, stream temperature is often overlooked when designing mitigation systems, with the focus being on the effects of development on stream flow, depth and velocity. A number of simple deterministic water temperature models exist for lakes, channels, and pipelines that can be utilized to optimize key design parameters for mitigation systems.
Read MoreAuthor: Ken J. Brouwer, Greg L. Smyth
Conference: CIM 2017 Convention
Date: April 30 - May 3, 2017
The Mount Polley Tailings Facility was first constructed in 1996 at a time when three new mines were under development in BC, Canada (Mount Polley, Huckleberry and Kemess South). The design, review and regulatory oversight of these three projects were influenced by tailings facility failures that had occurred at that time (Merriespruit, South Africa (1994), Omai, Guyana (1995)).
Publication: Construction Namibia
Issue: April-May 2017
Author: Dr. Gert Cloete
The Sartorius Von Bach Dam (Von Bach Dam), situated east of Okahandja in Otjozondjupa Region, has recently received a new bituminous seal layer after approximately 50 years of service. The previous asphalt seal had become brittle, due to loss of volatiles from the bitumen, which typically leads to cracking on the surface of the asphalt.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: April 2017
For many communities in Africa, especially in rural regions, the construction of a world-class asphalt pavement in their region is an event to celebrate. Villages, cut off for years from the main economy, are connected for the first time, whether by car, bus, or bicycle. And for those experiencing it for the first time, they watch the passing traffic with absolute fascination: they’re drawn in and excited by new opportunities.
Read MorePublication: eThekwini
Issue: April 2017
The first principle of problem solving is to look to history as someone, somewhere, has, in all probability, solved your problem already. While this is true, one still needs to implement the solution. Herein lies the crux of the matter. Without the right people, possessing the necessary skills and experience, no solution, no matter how brilliant, will work. This is particularly true of water supply infrastructure. Fortunately, in South Africa, we don’t have to look very far to find these people. We have a home-grown, problem-solving, solution implementing civil engineering company right here in eThekwini.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: March 2017
Water engineering has always been a key focus for Knight Piésold Consulting since its inception in 1921 – an area of expertise which runs in parallel with many other multidisciplinary fields that have evolved within the group over the past 96 years. These often complement or interconnect at some point and include dams, hydro-electric schemes, mining, roads and transportation, environmental services, geotechnical engineering, pipelines and pump stations. Knight Piésold is one of the few wholly owned South African consulting engineering firms operating worldwide.
Read MorePublication: Oshili 24
Author: Toini Martin
Date: March 22, 2017
Dr. Gert Cloete is a Specialist Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Dam Safety Engineer at Knight Piésold’s Windhoek office. He is a civil engineer with a doctorate in risk based dam safety from the University of Stellenbosh. He also obtained his B.Eng. and M.Sc.Eng. at the University of Stellenbosch with research in aspects of hydraulics.
Read MoreAuthor: G. C. Cloete, J. V. Retief, C. Viljoen
Conference: AFRICA 2017
Date: March 14-16, 2017
The Rational Quantitative Optimal (RQO) approach to risk based dam safety produces a definitive result for an assessment of the reduction of risk from the overtopping of embankment dams. The model is applied to 3 embankment dams in Namibia.
Author: Edwin Lillie, Gawie Steyn
Conference: AFRICA 2017
Date: March 14-16, 2017
Neckartal Dam is located on the Fish River, a tributary of the Orange River. The project will supply bulk water to a new irrigation scheme located 40km south-west of Keetmanshoop in Namibia. Keetmanshoop has a desert climate. The daytime temperature often rises well above 30°C during the summer and the mean annual precipitation is less than 150mm.
Author: R.P. Greyling, C. Zhang
Conference: AFRICA 2017
Date: March 14-16, 2017
The Neckartal Dam Project is currently under construction on the Fish River near Keetmanshoop in Namibia. The main purpose of the dam is to form an impoundment of 857 million m3 that will supply irrigation water to 5000 ha of agricultural development in the Karas Region. The outlet works at the dam is also equipped with a mini hydropower facility (3MW), which generates from the ecological releases made.
Author: G. L. Coetzee, S. J., van Vuuren
Conference: AFRICA 2017
Date: March 14-16, 2017
The van Vuuren and Coetzee (VC) Ogee relationship was introduced at ICOLD 2016 (van Vuuren & Coetzee, 2016) and is the only Ogee profile relationship that compensates for the effects of 3-dimensional flow that results from the upstream approach channel. This VC-Ogee relationship is distinguishable due to its derivation from both physical and numerical modelling of prominent 3-dimensional flow in the approach channel.
Publication: IMIESA
Issue: February 2017
Knight Piésold is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that has a long history in water delivery projects across all the integrated engineering fields, and was one of Africa’s foremost pioneers in hydroelectric power, which remains a core focus area to this day. Born in 1921, Knight Piésold is the oldest consulting engineering firm in South Africa, and probably Africa, and built its reputation in the mining sector, where the firm remains a design innovation leader, alongside its other multifaceted specialisations within the world of infrastructure.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: January 2017
Level 2 BBBEE environment consulting specialist Knight Piésold is looking to consolidate its business in order to continue growing in 2017–with a strategic focus on its geotechnical capability, says mining technical director Andrew Copeland.
"This will entail expanding into pit slope stability and rock mechanics, a service that is offered by our
overseas offices, but not locally. Our name is synonymous within the water fraternity for the design of large dams and hydro-power schemes..."
Publication: Ekurhuleni Transport
Author: Wayne Hunt
Date: 2016
Knight Piésold has been involved with numerous large-scale projects, many of which have been for the South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). In fact, Sanral projects account for about 70% of the work the company has done. With a focus predominantly in the northern parts of the country, the company has completed several projects for the provincial governments of Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: December 2016
2016 represented a major milestone achievement for Level 2 BBBEE environment consulting specialist Knight Piésold having celebrated 95 years in business–making it the oldest consulting engineering company in South Africa. With almost a decade of experience behind its name, the company has retained its strong reputation in the mining, water and hydropower sectors in southern Africa and has further built a strong and growing transportation and pipeline capability as well.
Read MoreAuthor: Richard J Frechette
Conference: 1st International Congress on Planning for Closure of Mining Operations
Date: November 20-22, 2016
This articles makes a case for two closures approaches: (1) a plan developed pre‐mining; or (2) a plan developed during late operations or post‐mining. A pre‐mining closure plan that dovetails with a tailored operating plan can achieve goals with modest and low‐volatility post‐mining capital expenditure. A post‐mining closure plan can capitalize on practical yet innovative techniques to yield best‐achievable results with the resources available
Publication: Who's Who Engineering Namibia
Issue: 2016/17 Edition, November 2016
Author: Dr. Gert Cloete
The Von Bach Dam, situated outside Okahandja in Otjozondjupa Region, was built in 1970. Unlike Avis Dam in Windhoek, which is a concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD), the dam at Okahandja is an asphalt-faced rockfill dam (AFRD), a design that provides a more flexible sealing membrane. Other AFRDs are the Hardap Dam in Namibia and five similar dams found elsewhere in Africa. Over the past 10 years, three large CFRD dams have failed — one in Lesotho and two in Brazil — due to compressive forces in the rigid concrete membrane; an AFRD construction would likely have been able to absorb these forces without failing.
Read MorePublication: Canadian Consulting Engineer
Issue: October/November 2016
Issue Title: 2016 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
The Capilano Break Head Tank and Energy Recovery Facility (BHT & ERF) is a vital link in the Seymour-Capilano Water Filtration System that supplies treated potable water to the cities of Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Burnaby.
Read MorePublication: Infrastructure News
Issue: October 25, 2016
Knight Piésold Consulting, the oldest South African engineering consulting firm in the country, saw an opportunity to help the school grow its facilities and develop its pupils and recently partnered with them, agreeing to invest in its Mathematics and Science departments.
Read MoreAuthor: Felix E. Garcia Prado, AnaMaria Rios Pando, Thomas F. Kerr, Antonio Belmar, Miguel E. Gutierrez, Thomas Byers, John Lupo
Conference: Heap Leaching Mining Solutions
Date: October 18-20, 2016
The Yanacocha Operation is an open pit gold mine located in mountainous terrain in Northern Peru. The Operation includes one tailing storage facility (TSF) and four heap leach facilities (HLFs). Given constraints imposed by topography and permitted boundaries, the efficient use of space is a priority.
Author: Luis Chahua, Guillermo Barreda, Gavi Sotelo, Miguel Narva
Conference: Heap Leaching Mining Solutions
Date: October 18-20, 2016
The geotechnical design for a leach pad requires several different variables to be reviewed during the analysis of the physical stability of the structure. These variables include: 1) the material that comprises the natural foundation; 2) the potential fill material that will form the grading surface; 3) the interface shear strength between the soil liner and the geomembrane; 4) the ore that will be part of the heap; 5) the irrigation rate during the operation and 6) the placement/zoning of material within the heap leach pad.
Read MoreAuthor: Katrina T. Wechselberger, Egbert J. Scherman
Conference: CDA Annual Conference
Date: October 15-20, 2016
Canada’s extensive and aging dam infrastructure in combination with the updated and revised Dam Safety regulations often require re‐examining previously satisfactory analysis and developing a greater understanding of the cumulative and independent effects of a series of common design assumptions. Knight Piésold Ltd. recently completed a seismic and structural stability analysis on the Corra Linn Dam and Spillway located on the Kootenay River, approximately 15 km downstream of the city of Nelson, British Columbia.
Author: Elio Murrugarra Boñón, Fanny Herrera Loayza, Luis de la Cruz Rengifo, David Reaño Vidal
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2016
Date: October 2-5, 2016
In the design of heap leach pads, it is well known that the stability of the ore heap is dependent on the weakest element material, i.e. of the interface between the low permeability soil (soil liner) and the geomembrane. The interface strength is dependent on the materials involved, both of the soil as well as the geomembrane, and its shear strength is determined by direct shear testing.
Author: Solange Paihua, Orlando Román, Rubén Vargas
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2016
Date: October 2-5, 2016
This paper presents the results of a geotechnical site investigation program of piezocone penetration tests (CPTu) and standard penetration tests (SPT) that was carried out in an old tailings facility to evaluate its feasibility as a foundation material. The old tailings (approximately 20 to 30 years old) need to be geotechnically characterized to assess how they will behave after being loaded by the fresh tailings.
Read MoreAuthor: Orlando Román, Solange Paihua, Rubén Vargas
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2016
Date: October 2-5, 2016
This paper presents the 2D dynamic analysis of an earth and rockfill dam subjected to the maximum credible earthquake (MCE) using the software Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC) and the UBCSAND constitutive model for the characterization of the tailings. The main purposes of the analysis were to predict a satisfactory behavior of the dam crest, to estimate the global permanent displacements and to assess the influence of the tailings liquefaction in the seismic performance of the dam.
Read MoreAuthor: B. Ulrich, D. Rector, J. Coffin, J. Taylor, J. Street, J. Reiva, M. Engle, B. Hutchings, B. Fahl, Z. Fox, R. Sauer and R. Dorow
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2016
Date: October 2-5, 2016
The authors of this paper represent people at a broad range of experience in their careers, anywhere from less than one year of professional employment to a few decades. The intent of gathering this diverse group was to capture people at various stages in their career and to ask them what advice they wish they had received early in their employment. The first activity of the authors was to brainstorm through a list of topics that would form the basis of the advice.
Read MorePublication: Infrastructure
Issue: October 2016
South Africa's oldest consulting engineering firm, Knight Piésold, which celebrates 95 years this year, will soon join the ranks of top South African companies, such as De Beers and Old Mutual, which have been in existence for over a century.
Read MorePublication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: October 2016
2016 represents South African engineering and environment consulting specialist Knight Piésold’s 95th year in business—a milestone achievement which officially makes it the oldest South African engineering and consulting company. Having evolved over the decades to meet changing industry needs, it is well positioned and prepared to extend its successful legacy for another 95 years, writes Laura Cornish.
Read MoreAuthor: K. Rengifo, F. Herrera, L. de la Cruz
Conference: 5th International Conference on Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterisation
Date: September 5-9, 2016
Typically, stockpiled unsuitable soils from construction activities are classified as saturated soft fine soils. Nevertheless, because of some projects particularities, unsuitable materials could also present coarse soils resulting in a heterogeneous stockpile. This paper presents the geotechnical characterization of a heterogeneous stockpile in Peru in order to verify the physical stability of the disposal pile and to optimize the closure configuration.
Publication: Mining Review Africa
Issue: September 2016
It is widely understood today that the viability of a new mining operation—specifically in remote regions—is to a large extent dependent on supporting infrastructure, primarily access roads to site. Despite this, few companies take cognisance of the associated environmental impacts or take into account that such access corridors leave a lasting legacy well beyond a mine’s active lifespan, Knight Piésold environmental section manager Amelia Briel tells Laura Cornish.
Read MorePublication: IMIESA
Issue: September 2016
Transportation, water and power are key national priorities – dovetailing with core socio-economic objectives – and areas where Knight Piésold Consulting leads in the infrastructure sphere.
Almost 10 decades have passed since Knight Piésold Consulting was founded on 21 April 1921, and the legend continues. It’s proud history of excellence began in its home base of South Africa, which has subsequently expanded over the years to cover most of the developed and developing world, through the establishment of a series of global offices.
Read MorePublication: Journal of Commerce
Author: Peter Caulfield
Date: September 8, 2016
Thanks to their experience working in British Columbia's challenging geography and climate, the province's contractors and engineers have developed a reputation for creativity in industry circles.
Their talent for innovation can be seen in three recently completed infrastructure projects, two of which bring fresh drinking water to thirsty mouths and one which provides alternate electricity to a school on a remote island.
Read MoreAuthor: SJ van Vuuren, GL Coetzee
Conference: 84th Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams
Date: May 15-20, 2016
The widely used Ogee relationship is one of the most studied hydraulic relationships in the world (Savage & Johnson, 2001). Various attempts were made to accurately describe the shape of the lower nappe of water flowing over a sharp-crested weir, known as the Ogee profile. The current Ogee profile relationship was formulated from 2-dimensional hydraulic assessments.
Author: Edwin Lillie
Conference: 84th Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams
Date: May 15-20, 2016
Bramhoek and Bedford Dams are the two reservoirs for the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme. Bedford Dam is the upper storage dam which is a 41m concrete faced rockfill dam. Bramhoek Dam is the lower storage dam which is a 32m high roller compacted concrete dam. Both Bedford and Bramhoek Dams have been provided with a wide range of instrumentation to measure their performance.
Author: AJ Strauss, V Martin, D Fontaine, J Cathcart
Conference: 84th Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams
Date: May 15-20, 2016
Engineering practitioners currently use a combination of guidance documents, published papers, and professional experience to support tailings dam breach and inundation studies. There is considerable knowledge and information available in this relatively new field of practice, but standardised and comprehensive guidelines specific to tailings dams are not available.
Author: Sam Mottram, Keith Ainsley, Egbert Scherman
Conference: 84th Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams
Date: May 15-20, 2016
The exclusion of sediment for hydropower intakes and the flushing of sediment from reservoirs in order to maintain live storage are critical to the long- term viability and sustainability of hydroelectric projects around the World. This paper presents several design innovations and case studies of run-of-river diversion dams and intakes incorporating inflatable rubber dams, vortex de-sanders and Coanda screen intakes for sediment exclusion and flood passage. It presents the findings of physical and CFD model tests, case studies of operating facilities and lessons learned.
Publication: Progressive Leader
Issue: Issue 15
Issue Title: Building Our Cities
Established in April 1921, Knight Piésold (Pty) Ltd is a valued, trusted and uniquely South African company that has remained at the forefront of infrastructure development in South Africa, on the African continent and around the world. As South Africa’s longest-standing consulting engineering company, it is justifiably proud of being viable, profitable and South Africanowned. It has sustained operation through world wars, periods of major economic upheaval and depression and periods of great political change.
Read MorePublication: Mining Global
Issue: January 2016
Knight Piésold was established in 1921 when Dr. Francis Edgar Kanthack set up shop in Johannesburg, South Africa as an engineering consultant. Over the years, the company has developed into a major global consulting firm for the mining, power, water, transportation and construction sectors by delivering high quality specialty services with respect to social, environmental and economic responsibilities.
Read MorePublication: International Water Power & Dam Construction
Issue: December 2015
Knight Piésold recently received an award for engineering excellence from the Association of Canadian Consulting Engineers for the detailed design and construction supervision of the Kokish River hydroelectric project. The award was in recognition of the project’s unique solutions and innovative designs that cater to the sensitive environmental attributes of the site, primarily on the presence of steelhead trout and salmon throughout the diversion reach.
Read MorePublication: Canadian Consulting Engineer
Issue: October/November 2015
Issue Title: 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
The Kokish River Hydroelectric Project is a 45 MW run-of-river facility 15 km east of Port McNeill, on the north of Vancouver Island, B.C. Every step during the development process took into consideration the diversity of fish habitats in Kokish River. The project has unique and innovative details throughout the diversion reach designed to cater to this sensitive environment, and in particular the presence of steelhead trout and salmon.
Read MoreAuthor: Veronique Daigle, Samuel Mottram
Conference: International Renewable Energy Symposium
Date: October 29-30, 2015
Mining operations require a secure energy sources(s) to maintain their operation and many around the world typically resort to expensive diesel generated power, with fuel operating costs alone varying from $300/MWh in West Africa to over $800/MWh in the Canadian Arctic. Renewable energy solutions such as small hydro, wind and solar offer significant cost saving opportunities for these mines, and in addition help the miners attain their “Social License” to operate.
Read MoreAuthor: Daniel Fontaine, P.Eng., Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2015
Date: October 25-28, 2015
Quantitative assessment of potential consequences caused by a flood from a dam breach of a tailings facility requires an estimate of the volume of water and tailings released during the breach. A methodology for estimating the volume of tailings mobilized by the free water stored in the pond and the resulting initial flood wave following a dam breach is presented.
Read MoreAuthor: Bryan Ulrich, Jeff Coffin
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2015
Date: October 25-28, 2015
The benefits of combining tailings and mine waste in a relatively homogenous manner, in which tailings just fill the voids between the waste rock particles while the waste rock maintains particle-to-particle contact, has been the subject of study over the course of several years. Such a combination of materials could be used for a closure cover or as a singular large-scale facility to store both mine waste products.
Read MoreAuthor: Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng., Daniel Fontaine, P.Eng., Jaime Cathcart, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2015
Date: October 25-28, 2015
Engineering practitioners currently use a combination of guidance documents, published papers, and professional experience to support tailings dam breach and inundation studies. There is considerable knowledge and information available in this relatively new field of practice, but standardized and comprehensive guidelines specific to tailings dams are not available.
Read MoreAuthor: Anna Akkerman, P.Eng., Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2015
Date: October 25-28, 2015
The Afton Tailings Storage Facility is located in the semi-arid Interior Region of British Columbia and has been in care and maintenance since 1997, after approximately 20 years of operation. In response to the British Columbia Chief Mine Inspector’s orders issued in August 2014, following a dam breach incident at the Mount Polley Mine, dam breach analysis and inundation studies for the Afton Tailings Storage Facility were conducted.
Read MoreAuthor: AJ Strauss
Conference: SANCOLD Annual Conference
Date: September 1-3, 2015
On 27th February 2014 solids were noted to be discharging into the Return Water Dam below the Selati Tailings Dam at Foskor in Phalaborwa, indicating a decant failure. All parties involved reacted quickly to curb the discharge of solids and minimize the risk of catastrophic failure of the facility. Within days, a temporary filter was constructed on the outlet, followed by the design and construction of a medium term filter, while a solution is being sought for the permanent sealing of the decant outlet.
Author: Craig Nistor, P.Geo., Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Conference: Canadian Hydrotechnical Conference 2015
Date: April 29-May 2, 2015
The Site C Clean Energy Project is a third dam and 1100 MW hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. BC Hydro plans to start construction in the summer of 2015. This paper presents the predicted changes in channel morphology and suspended sediment dynamics during Project operations that were described in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Project.
Read MoreAuthor: Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Conference: Canadian Hydrotechnical Conference 2015
Date: April 29-May 2, 2015
Run-of-river, diversion-type hydroelectric projects on steep mountainous streams create changes in environmental conditions, including modified hydraulic and sediment transport conditions in the headpond upstream of the flow diversion intake and in the diversion section of the stream between the intake and the tailrace. These types of changes can lead to environmental and operational challenges that require careful consideration at the project design stage in order to achieve a successful, sustainable project.
Read MorePublication: Global Business Reports
Issue: February 2015
Issue Title: Circumpolar Mining 2015
All stakeholders involved in northern mineral development have a role to play in positively advancing an industry that represents an opportunity for socio-economic development. Mining has the potential to bring self-sufficiency to the North; empower people with education, training, and employment; increase territorial revenues; and support infrastructure development.
Read MoreAuthor: Guillermo Barreda, Luis Chahua
Conference: Heap Leach Solutions 2014
Date: November 10-13, 2014
The design of heap leach pads involves a variety of components. One of the main components for these structures is the leach pad liner system, where a low-permeability soil is normally used in combination with a geomembrane to reduce seepage losses. Although this combination of materials has been shown to effectively reduce rates of infiltration, the soil liner-geomembrane interface presents a challenge to designers since it incorporates a “weak layer” into the system.
Read MoreAuthor: Jordan Scheremeta, M.S., E.I.
Conference: Tailings and Mine Waste 2014
Date: October 5-8, 2014
The estimation of ambient pore water pressures in an existing soil stratum for use in developing appropriate pore pressure distributions for input to various geotechnical engineering analyses often presents the engineer with challenges in locations devoid of sufficient piezometer coverage.
Read MoreAuthor: Sanne Brinkman, Graham Greenaway, P.Eng.
Conference: CDA Annual Conference 2014
Date: October 4-9, 2014
The Casino Project is a proposed copper-gold-molybdenum mine in the southwest Yukon. The deposit will be mined using open pit methods with a nominal mill throughput of approximately 125,000 tonnes per day of ore over a 22 year operating life. The climate at the project site is characterised by long, cold, dry winters and short, warm, wet summers. Permafrost is discontinuous over the Tailings Management Facility embankment area.
Read MorePublication: Global Business Reports
Issue: October 2014
Issue Title: British Columbia Power 2014
It has been nearly three decades since BC Hydro has undertaken a large-scale project. Does it have the in-house expertise to undertake Site C?
BC Hydro no longer has large, in-house expertise, which is why they have hired external consultants to help them. A number of consultants have been involved in the 1,100-MW Site C Clean Energy Project (Site C) in various capacities. Knight Piésold is involved in assessing the downstream impacts of Site C.
Read MoreAuthor: Violeta Martin, Ph.D., P.Eng., Michael Pullinger, M.Sc., P.Eng., Alana Shewan, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., Nathan Smith, P.Eng.
Conference: HydroVision International 2014
Date: July 22-25, 2014
A 25 MW run-of-river hydroelectric project is proposed in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Baseline studies identified that the bedload sediment transport rate in the project area is relatively low, and consequently, interruption of bed material replenishment in the reaches downstream of the intake represents an environmental concern.
Read MoreAuthor: Egbert J. Scherman, P.Eng., Sam R. Mottram, P.Eng.
Conference: HydroVision International 2014
Date: July 22-25, 2014
This presentation will cover the design innovations and lessons learned from the detailed design and construction of the Kokish River Hydroelectric Project recently constructed in the northern part of Vancouver Island located in British Columbia, Canada. This hydroelectric facility is a private sector development by Kwagis Power, a limited partnership of Brookfield Renewable Energy Group and the ‘Namgis First Nation that was awarded an energy purchase agreement by BC Hydro in an open call for clean energy.
Read MoreAuthor: Boualem Hadjerioua, Norm Bishop, Patrick O'Connor, Rocío Uría-Martínez, Scott DeNeale
Conference: HydroVision International 2014
Date: July 22-25, 2014
To date, the vast majority of global and domestic Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) development has focused on the construction of large (generally greater than 300MW), site-customized plants. The viability of alternative design paradigms for PSH technologies has been actively discussed in industry and the research community, but no reliable determinations on the viability of these concepts have been made. Of particular interest is the development of smaller, distributed PSH systems incorporating elements of modular design to drive down cost and increase the ease of implementation.
Read MorePublication: Global Business Reports
Issue: March 2014
Issue Title: British Columbia Mining & Vancouver: The World's Mining Barometer 2014
Designers of modern-day mines must consider and incorporate nearly endless aspects of a project so that it is technically, economically, environmentally and socially balanced. Technical and economic feasibility continue to be the key drivers behind development decisions. However, environmental and social considerations are growing in their influence on both the design and ultimately the decision to move a project past concept and into construction and operation.
Read MorePublication: Global Business Reports
Issue: November 2012
Issue Title: Territories Mining and Exploration 2012
One thing everyone can agree on is the need for a reliable source of energy for any form of existence in the Canadian north. With the extreme cold and shortage of sunlight hours throughout the winter, energy for heating and light is of paramount importance. This becomes even more important for any form of mining venture where there are large power requirements to run the mine.
Read MoreConference: Elko Roundtable
Date: 2005 to Ongoing
Knight Piésold USA has been hosting the Elko Rountable since 2005, with an aim in creating an environment to discuss current practices, challenges, and accomplishments associated with the need for, and the advancement of, innovation. The roundtable forum encourages an exchange of ideas and information pertaining to broad topics revolving around the subject of innovations in heap leaching and mine waste management. Compared to traditional conferences and symposia, the forum provides a much less inhibited format for discussion.
Read More