Underground Mining & Tunnelling Services

Underground experts

BGC’s team of rock mechanics experts provides design, ground monitoring, and operational support for a range of underground mining and tunnelling projects. These include tunnels, underground openings, pit and underground interaction studies, open stope mining and backfill, ground support, pillars including crown pillars, bulkheads and plugs, and ground monitoring and instrumentation.

BGC provides comprehensive geoscience-based design and support services at all levels of project development including conceptual designs and mining method evaluations, feasibility studies, detailed design, operational support, and closure design. Our Underground and Tunnelling team provides geotechnical design and support services for projects and operations from concept to closure. 

Site Investigation & Engineering Geology

A strong understanding of the site conditions is considered fundamental to all our underground projects. BGC’s experience covers multi-disciplinary projects and designing site investigation programs that maximize the acquisition of resources as well as geomechanical and hydrogeological data. Our team is experienced in the planning and design of comprehensive field investigation programs including geotechnical and oriented core logging, borehole televiewer surveys and core orientation, hydrogeological testing, core sample selection, coordination of laboratory testing, and interpretation of results. These data are used to develop geomechanical, structural, and hydrogeological models that form the basis for design. On ground monitoring and instrumentation, BGC’s team has experience with planning, designing, and installation of piezometers, monitoring wells, inclinometers, extensometers, TDR cables, shape arrays, and Smart Markers®. BGC evaluates in‐situ stresses by back‐analysis of underground observations.

Analysis & Design for Mining & Tunnelling Projects

BGC’s geotechnical and hydrogeological models are developed in 2D and 3D to assess the stability and prepare fit-for-purpose underground opening and ground support designs involving tunnels, shafts, stopes, ramps, and declines. We specialize in the design of pillars, crown pillars, and portals and have experience with the design of bulkheads and plugs. Our team also provides advice on excavation, mining sequence, and mining method evaluations.  Our team of hydrogeologists has significant experience with hydrogeological baseline data collection, hydrogeological modelling, depressurization, and mine dewatering system design.

Operations & Closure

BGC’s underground mine operation experience includes: 

  • Review of ground monitoring data 
  • Instability assessments and development of mitigation measures 
  • Development, implementation, and audit of ground control management plans 
  • Evaluation of excavations interaction and influence on design 
  • Evaluation of surface subsidence due to historical or active mining and tunnelling 
  • Design and installation of ground monitoring and instrumentation systems 
  • Design of depressurization and mine dewatering systems
  • Geotechnical audits and risk assessments.

Key Contacts

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Randi Thompson

Principal Hydrogeological Engineer

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Warren Newcomen

Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Amir Karami

Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Catherine Schmid

Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Willy Zawadzki

Principal Hydrogeologist

Underground Mining & Tunneling

Craig Thompson

Senior Hydrogeologist