• Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Member Login
  • Jobs
  • Contact
Geoscience Ireland
  • Expertise
  • Projects
  • Member Companies
  • About
    • Governance & Management
    • Member Companies
    • Membership
    • Clustering
    • Research and Innovation
    • Panel of Experts
    • Background
  • News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Mineral Resources

Geotechnical Investigation of Open Pit Sidewall Failure | LTMS & GI Panel Expert Joe Burke

May 24, 2019/in Mineral Resources

Project:

Geotechnical Investigation of open pit sidewall failure at the Skorpion Zinc Mine in Namibia

Date:

May 2018

Location:

Rosh Pinah, southern Namibia

Client:

Vedanta Zinc International

Business Sectors:

Mineral Resources

Services:

  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Geology
  • Monitoring & Instrumentation
  • Hydrology
  • Risk Assessment and Management

Project Objectives:

A large planar slope failure occurred on the pushback of the open pit. The failure involved approximately 400,000t of rock and covered an area approximately 150m wide and 70m high.

Although monitored by Movement and Surveying Radar (MSR) no alarms were triggered.

An excavator working at the toe of the failure was partially covered by fall material but there were no personal injuries.

This project was delivered in collaboration with LTMS and GI Panel Expert Joe Burke (Avoca Geotech Ltd).

Our Role:

A Geotechnical review of the failure was conducted to understand the possible causes of the failure and propose options and measures to re-establish safe mining for the pit 112 project going forward (extend from 200 to 300m BS)

  • This involved assessing the failure mechanism and current stability of the loose rock mass.
  • Developing options for rehabilitating the sidewall.
  • Evaluating the monitoring systems particularly the failure to warn of the risk.
  • Establish a more robust program of monitoring the pit.
  • Carry out a Gap Analysis of the pit management.
  • Develop a program of proactively managing the pit using design, blasting, sequencing of extraction, hydrology, monitoring, operator engagement and modelling.

Picture: Sidewall failure at Skorpion Zinc Mine – planar failure on parallel structures in weak Arkos rock.

Geoscience Ireland Contact:

Brendan Morris – b.morris@ltms.ie

Tags: LTMS, Namibia
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://www.geoscience.ie/wp-content/uploads/LTMS-Skorpion-Open-Pit-Sidewall-Failure-Image-1-1.jpg 609 1315 GSI Editor 1 https://www.geoscience.ie/wp-content/themes/master/images/geoscience-logo-v1.png GSI Editor 12019-05-24 11:32:072020-01-15 15:34:50Geotechnical Investigation of Open Pit Sidewall Failure | LTMS & GI Panel Expert Joe Burke
You might also like
Geotechnical Review of Waste Dumps at the Gamsberg Zinc Project in South Africa | LTMS
Zinc Ore Reserve Estimate | Kazakhstan
Earth Observation for the Mining of Raw Materials (EO4RM) | LTMS

Latest Projects

  • Rossaveal Deep HarbourMay 18, 2022 - 8:34 am
  • Excavation of Remains, Barry, Wales | Rubicon HeritageApril 26, 2022 - 9:57 pm
  • Geospatial Services for UK House, London | Murphy GeospatialApril 26, 2022 - 9:41 pm
  • London Underground Monitoring | Murphy GeospatialMarch 10, 2022 - 10:17 pm
  • Thomond Paving | RoadstoneMarch 3, 2022 - 9:10 pm
  • One South County, Dublin 18 | JB BarryFebruary 3, 2022 - 9:41 am
  • Mincon Spiral Flush Technology For SkanskaFebruary 1, 2022 - 3:18 pm
  • Heathrow Expansion | ByrneLoobyJanuary 24, 2022 - 10:54 am
  • A737 Dalry Bypass, Scotland | Fehily TimoneyJanuary 20, 2022 - 10:07 am
  • NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome | TOBIN Consulting EngineersJanuary 14, 2022 - 10:36 am
All Projects

Latest News

  • Geoscience Ireland (GI) Support for Drilling ApprenticeshipMay 16, 2022 - 8:33 am
  • Global Ireland SummitApril 14, 2022 - 4:12 pm
  • New Structure for Geoscience IrelandApril 8, 2022 - 7:55 am
  • Tech Works Marine Joins Geoscience Ireland (GI)March 28, 2022 - 3:51 pm
  • Ireland Canada Links in Mineral ResourcesMarch 11, 2022 - 11:11 am
All News

GSI Logo DCCAE Logo
DFA Logo EI Logo
  • Home
  • Expertise
  • Projects
  • About
  • News
  • Contact
© Copyright Geoscience Ireland
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Home
  • Privacy
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OKLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, you cannot refuse them without impacting how our site functions. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visist to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our privacy policy in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy
Accept settingsHide notification only
Open Message Bar