Constructability in Mine Planning and Closure Designs

CIM Calgary Luncheon Details

Doors open at 11:45 with lunch starting at noon. Presentation will begin around 12:25.

We will be meeting in Room 234 in the downtown campus of the U of C.

Abstract: Mine planning and closure practitioners tend to focus on the final design of a landform, too often neglecting to consider the execution strategy and constructability of the design. The consequences of this oversight can include impractical or unsafe construction, cost overruns due to field-driven revisions, late-stage permit revisions, and failure to meet design objectives. If a design fails to consider how it will be constructed—such as the placement of haul roads, appropriate gradients, and safe access routes—it risks being impractical or even unfeasible. Instead, by integrating interim execution landform designs and constructability considerations into the closure planning process, mine operators can mitigate these risks and adopt landform designs that are practically feasible. This proactive approach can lead to safer, more cost-effective, and environmentally responsible mining operations.

Mine planning and closure designs require an integrated approach that considers interim construction phases and execution strategies to effectively manage potential geotechnical, operational, and financial risks. This presentation will present case studies in North America, where revisiting the closure landform designs through the lens of construction and execution risk management helped mine operators improve safety, maintain geotechnical stability, decrease material handling costs and avoid schedule delays through the development of interim construction designs for closure landforms

Speakers' Abstracts: Mauricio Adolphson is an intermediate consultant and engineer-in-training based in Calgary, Canada. He brings technical experiences in a variety of roles within a mine site, including geotechnical monitoring, construction material classification, long range detailed mine design, mine scheduling, and mine operations cost analysis. Mauricio specializes in strategic planning and design for mid to long-range plans implementing best practices to provide more efficient and safe solutions. He is passionate about bridging the gap between reclamation and closure planning and traditional mine planning practices to facilitate more efficient and cost-effective transitions between the different phases of mine life.

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