Detour Lake Mine

BGC is the Engineer of Record for the Cell 2 Tailings Management Area, which comprises a dam with a maximum height of 42 m and an impoundment area of 510 ha. The dam comprises a starter dam with a low permeability till core, zoned filters and a rockfill shell. The dam is to be raised a downstream manner using a composite Bituminous Geomembrane and compacted till liner on the upstream face. Prior to construction, BGC assessed the foundation for static and seismic liquefaction potential using both empirical and theoretical (critical state soil mechanics) techniques. Other design challenges have included low shear strength soils in the foundations, a high water table and construction material supply.

BGC’s work at Detour Lake Mine has been multi-disciplinary with other scopes including acting as Engineer of Record for the contact water dam; surface water management water balance and water quality modelling; open pit and waste dump design review; and closure designs for stockpiles and the tailings management area. This work has involved options assessments, siting studies, conceptual designs, site investigations, detailed design, construction, operations support and closure design. It has encompassed a range of technical disciplines ranging from hydrogeology, hydrology, geotechnical engineering (soil and rock mechanics) and landform design.