Tailings Storage Facilities - Services Profile

Smith Williams offers a wide range of tailings storage facility expertise as it relates to siting, design, construction oversight, and closure of tailings storage facilities. With experience in climates ranging from very arid desert settings to tropical settings to arctic conditions, Smith Williams offers a wealth of expertise and "real world" exposure in assessing, designing, and constructing tailings storage facilities.

Smith Williams has expertise in the design and construction of zoned earthfill/rockfill structures, zoned rockfill, homogeneous rockfill, zoned earthfill, and homogeneous earthfill structures, as well as structures constructed from tailings. We are experienced with a number of construction methodologies, including classic downstream construction, centerline, modified centerline, and upstream construction. The broad experience that the Smith Williams team brings to its tailings storage facility assignments results in practical, operationally friendly, cost-effective solutions.

Tailings storage facilities capabilities include the following:

• Prefeasibility / Fatal Flaw Studies. During this phase of the projects, the Smith Williams team has completed provisional cost estimates ±25% to aid the client in assessing the project.
  • Prefeasibility and fatal flaw analyses for project viability
  • Scoping for future phases
    
• Feasibility Studies. The Smith Williams team has completed feasibility studies for a multitude of projects to assist its clients in planning budgets with a clear understanding of the scope of the projects, and generating bankable documents to obtain funding. Feasibility-level cost estimates have typically been performed in the ±15% to 20% range. The Smith Williams team is often involved in the following:
  • Alternative siting analyses/decision matrices
    • Fatal flaws
    • Permitting issues
    • Construction material availability
    • Proximity of the tailings facility to the process facilities
    • Capital cost assessments
    • Operational cost assessments
  • Feasibility-level design
    • Engineering analysis
    • Feasibility-level drawings
    • Design criteria development
    • Capital construction cost estimates
  • Geotechnical evaluation/field investigation
    • Continuous flight auger
    • Percussion, reverse circulation, and wireline core drilling methods
    • Test trenching
    • Test pitting
    • Evaluation of subsurface conditions
    • Borrow source assessment
    • Sampling for geotechnical laboratory analyses
  • Geotechnical evaluation
    • Slope stability
    • Seepage
    • Settlement
    • Risk assessment
  • Geotechnical laboratory analysis of field samples
    • Strength characteristics
    • Consolidation testing
    • Liner interface testing
    • Permeability testing
    • Soundness and durability testing
    • Index testing
  • Seismic risk analysis
    • Maximum credible earthquake (MCE)
    • Related design seismic coefficients
• Hydrology/Hydraulics
  • Meteorological design basis for storm events and associated runoff
  • Design of diversion channels, spillways, drop structures and energy dissipation elements
  • Development and evaluation of water management
  • Integrated water balance
  • Earthworks design - embankment structures
  • Structural design - outlet structures, spillway structures, supernatant reclaim facilities
  • Hydraulic evaluation of designs associated with seepage mitigation measures.
  • Design of stormwater containment.
  • Design of tailings distribution systems/value engineering to maximize density of tails and optimize
  • Water reclaim from the facility.
    
• Construction. Our team, typically, has managed all phases of construction in the development of tailings storage facilities.
  • Construction oversight as owner's representative
  • Construction management
    • Earthworks
    • Concrete and grouting
    • Structural elements
  • Supernatant recycle elements (barges and sloping decants)
  • Liner systems/seepage control systems (grout curtains and slurry walls)
  • Construction quality control/quality assurance
    • Earthworks
    • Concrete
    • Grout
    • Structural steel
    • Liner

In summary, Smith Williams can manage all the engineering and construction necessary for development of tailings storage facilities. By selecting Smith Williams, you are assured of a practical, cost-effective, operationally friendly solution to your tailings storage challenges. Our team will add value to all phases of your project through a direct understanding of both operational and project development goals.