Safety and mining go hand in hand. With the majority of work being performed in high-pressure environments for long hours at a time and in remote locations, there are a number of factors to consider when thinking about the health, safety and well-being of all on site.

In this month’s edition, we explore the importance of incorporating safety in design and why safety measures must be featured prominently throughout the entirety of a project, from concept to closure.

People are the bedrock of our industry, so let’s get to know David Reid, Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia. This month, we ask him the important questions from how he got his start in the sector to the advice he’d give to up and coming geotechnical professionals.

Design optimisation is frequently front of mind when designing a mining project. However, in an industry with a high potential of risk, it is of the utmost importance that we, as geotechnical engineers, place higher value on incorporating safety measures in the design process to ensure the safety of workers on a mine site.

Scott Lines, Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Red Earth Engineering, discusses how safety must be prioritised in every phase of operations, including from the conceptual to the detailed design phase, and provides key tips on how to incorporate the essential safety measures in design to best prepare for the common pitfalls.

As geotechnical engineers, structural geology is at the very core of everything we do. This month, I personally dive into the importance of structural geology and why it’s imperative we look at the rocks first.

Like a geologist inspecting all rock discontinuity, let's unearth the hidden layers of Michael Munro, Technical Director at GMEK, by asking the important questions in our monthly Q&A feature.

For geotechnical engineers, it’s easy to go straight for the detail, the data, and pour energy into what’s perceived, and known, to work best. In this article, Cartledge Mining and Geotechnics Director Tim Cartledge explores the simple yet often overlooked process of stepping away from the desk, getting out on site and just looking at the rocks – adding another dimension to the benefits of numerical modelling – to gain the fullest picture of what’s really going on.

As geotechnical professionals, we are responsible for providing accurate advice about mine design and operations, and laboratory testing is one of the avenues that enables us to do just that.

In this month’s edition, we dig deep into the importance of geotechnical lab testing within the mining, resources and construction industries.

Like a geologist chipping away at rock, let's unearth the hidden layers of Colin Purvis, Technical Manager at Trilab, by asking all the important questions.

From how he got his start in the industry to hearing what trends he believes will become more important in coming years’, Colin shares some profound insight into laboratory testing and the importance of geotechnical assessment.

When it comes to geotechnical investigation and design, laboratory testing plays a fundamental role in ensuring the success of any project. However, like any industry, when you take a look under the microscope there are usually more than one challenge that need to be addressed.

In this article, Zhongwei Chen, Associate Professor for the School of Mechanical & Mining Engineering, at The University of Queensland, investigates the challenges such as sample availability and preparation, which hinder laboratory testing and how addressing such challenges can provide long term benefit for Australia’s mineral and resources sector well into the future.

Welcome to the first edition of 2024. New year, same excellence in geotechnical news and information from across the globe.

This month, we dive deep into data acquisition and data management. From the technological advancements that affect the industry to the rising importance of sufficient data management, this edition provides valuable insight into why data and mining go hand-in-hand.

At its core, geotechnical engineering is nothing without accurate and complete Data Acquisition and Data Management.

In this article, Jed Watts, Client Relationship Manager at Datanest - software that enables the geotechnical industry to improve efficiency and accuracy – looks at the pivotal role data plays in ensuring not only the technical success of a project but also the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the entire process.

As industry adopted data sharing standards become more complex, the need to understand quality control around geo data collection is as crucial as ever.

In his article, Declan Vanderhor from TabLogs looks at the changing landscape of data and how organisations can leverage their own internal databases to scale for efficiency and effective outcomes.

If there was ever a corporate buzz word, ESG would have to be it in recent times. ESG is impacting nearly every organisation in the world. If you haven’t felt that impact yet, you will. There is a tsunami of new ESG disclosure requirements on the way, and that means visibility, questions and information requests under many more rocks of businesses.

Sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips today and for good reason: The effects of climate change have accelerated faster than even the experts had predicted, faster than evolution can keep up with.

As we prepare to round out the year that was with our November edition of Friction, we dive deep into Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) and the role it plays in the mining industry.

ESG is on everyone’s minds, and for good reason, with every sector’s ESG policies and approach to sustainability in the spotlight. The mining and geotechnical engineering industry is no different.

How the mining industry monitors tailings dams has evolved over the years with advancements in technology, AI and research and development.

In this month’s edition, we dive deep into the complex structures that are tailings dams and how the future need for development, training and upskilling must not be ignored.

Ensuring current guidelines for tailings dams are implemented and conformed to by clients is an important undertaking. In this article we hear from principal geotechnical engineer Keith Mandisodza at Cartledge Mining and Geotechnics on why developing new frameworks is essential to achieving better governance and management

How the mining industry monitors tailings dams has evolved over the years with advancements in technology, AI and research and development. In this article, GroundProbe’s Paul Davies discusses the approach to preventing tailings dam disasters with expert, Leo Probst. Here, they reflect on the past catastrophic tailings dams events and how new advancements in technology can ensure optimal safety and reduced risk for both miners and communities.

Everyone has a story to tell, and this month we asked Adam Beer, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, AMC Consultants, the hard questions.

In this month’s edition we look at the future generation of geotechnical engineers. From addressing the skill-shortages that face the industry to improving the image and attraction of mining, we hear personally from senior geotechnical engineers within the education system to understand what this looks like and why it’s a fundamental focus.