Statement of Qualifications

Mankind lives on the earth. Everything built, either originated from, is built on, or interacts with, the earth. Geology is the science of the earth. Geotechnical Engineering is the application of geology and mathematics to use Earth’s natural resources to build infrastructure. Tierra Group International, Ltd. applies its geotechnical expertise to the conception, design, construction, and operations of physical structures for the mining industry, including:

  • Foundations
  • Tailings Dams
  • Water Dams
  • Heap Leach Pads
  • Mine Pits
  • Waste Rock Dumps
  • Hydraulic Structures (Canals, Channels, Pipelines, etc.)
  • Civil Infrastructure (Plants, Buildings, Roads, Bridges, etc.)

Tierra Group has applied its 100+ years combined professional geological and engineering expertise consulting on, or designing and constructing, dozens of these structures on six continents. This geographic variety has allowed Tierra Group’s Team to develop expertise designing facilities under challenging geotechnical conditions such as:

  • Laterites
  • Saprolites
  • Swelling or Collapsible Soils
  • Karst
  • Variable Geology
  • Highly and Active Seismicity (Earthquakes)
  • High Altitudes (4,000-m amsl)
  • Tropics

Tierra Group has innovatively adapted to these challenging environments using highly-trained professionals and state-of-the-art techniques and software to perform the following tasks and analyses:

  • Site Characterization
  • Soil/Rock Mechanics
  • Geologic Hazards - Landslide, Rock Fall, Avalanches, Seismic (Earthquakes)
  • Geotechnical Analyses - Slope, Stability, Seepage, Settlement, Consolidation, Deformation, Liquefaction
  • Civil Design and Specifications
  • Construction Documents
  • Resident Engineering
  • Quality Assurance
  • Operations Support
  • Forensics and Mitigation
  • Peer Reviews

Regardless of the geotechnical challenges posed, Tierra Group’s broad experience, intimate attention to site-specific conditions, and keen focus on developing innovative solutions, has earned us a respected reputation and loyal clients around the world.


Select Geotechnical Projects

New Jersey Mill TSF

Tierra Group completed a siting study to evaluate six potential sites for a paste TSF. Tierra Group prepared civil layouts for each TSF, determining embankment fill volumes, evaluating required diversions for upstream catchment areas, and pipeline corridor layouts. Tierra Group…

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Amulsar Gold Project

Tierra Group completed a technical review of the heap leach pad for the Amulsar Mine property owned by Lydian Armenia located near the town of Jermuk to the southeast of Armenia. The heap leach pad consists of four phases with…

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Pirquitas Tailings Review

Tierra Group prepared a civil engineering design for SSR Mining’s Mina Pirquitas in Jujuy Province, Argentina and developed current and future water-mass balance through hydrological/hydraulics calculations and modeling. Tierra Group developed the ultimate tailings surface, deposition plan, spillway relocation analysis,…

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La Libertad Mine

Tierra Group engineers designed La Esperanza TSF, a 2.1-km long, 35-m high, earthfill tailings dam with an HDPE lined impoundment footprint of 840,000 m2. Tierra Group designed and provided Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) for all subsequent downstream dam stages. Stage…

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Sweetwater Mine

Sweetwater Mine Permitting Tierra Group’s Team began work at the Sweetwater mine in 1993 assisting permitting and developing tailings impoundment management strategies for the mine. We successfully designed and installed an innovative internal seal for repair of the mine’s damaged…

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Goldfield Bonanza Project

Lode-Star Gold, Inc., in advance of their proposed mining operations, submited a Physical Separation Facility application with the State of Nevada for their Goldfield Bonanza Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The mine, located in the historic high-grade gold-bearing district of…

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Karouni Mine

Tierra Group reviewed and provided pit slope recommendations and conducted hydrological assessments for the Resource 1 and 2 deposits water management system at Troy Resources’ Karouni Mine (Karouni). Advanced pre-feasibility level recommendations for pit development were provided based on benchmarking…

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Yauricocha Mine

The Yauricocha Mine is a polymetallic (copper, lead, zinc) underground mine located in Yauyos Province, Lima, Peru. Tailings are deposited in the Yauricocha Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) located 3km from the process plant. Tierra Group was engaged in 2015 to…

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El Aguila

Dry Stack Tailings Options Analysis Tierra Group performed an independent TSF expansion engineering design peer review. The review resulted in cost savings ($650,000) without compromising the facility's design integrity over the original design. Tierra Group also provided full-time CQA. Tierra…

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Pinos Altos Mine

Tierra Group provided slope stability analysis for Agnico Eagle’s dry stack tailings storage facility containing 330,000 tonnes of tailings.

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Hod Mine Waste Dump and Surface Water Management Design

Tierra Group provided design review and technical direction at Hod Mine in the Artvin Province of Turkey. Work included detailed design of potentially acid generating and non-acid generating waste dump facilities, their appurtenant structures and stormwater management design for the…

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Brushy Creek

Tierra Group provided a raise design for Doe Run's Brushy Creek tailings embankment, a facility first commissioned in 1973. Cone penetration testing, liquefaction analysis, seepage modeling, and slope stability modeling were performed for the embankment. Hydrology, spillway design, and impoundment layout…

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