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

San Bartolome Mine | NI 43-101 Tailings Technical Review & Report

Tierra Group performed an Independent Tailings Technical Review to support the San Bartolomé Mine Prefeasibility Study (PFS) NI 43-101 Technical Report (TR). SRK Consulting Inc. (SRK) is the primary TR author. Tierra Group will provided a Qualified Person (QP) to oversee…

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Pit Slope Design | County Line Project

Tierra Group conducted a geotechnical investigation program to provide data for pit slope design. Tierra Group provided field support through oriented core logging, pit wall mapping, selected samples for laboratory testing, and provided pit slope design recommendations for safe open…

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La Negra Mine

Tierra Group performed a tailings storage facility safety (TSF) audit for the 90 m high upstream constructed tailings dam at La Negra Mine in Querétaro, Mexico. The project included a TSF dam inspection and Dam Safety Inspection Report (DSIR) containing operational…

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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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Brushy Creek 2

Tierra Group was commissioned by Doe Run to design a new tailings storage facility at the Brushy Creek Mine. Tierra Group completed a geotechnical investigation including boring, classifying, and sampling soil and rock. Trade-off studies were performed to minimize construction…

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Mt. Todd Dam Assessment

Tierra Group conducted an Independent Technical review of Vista Gold Corp’s Mt. Todd Tailings Storage Facility Expansion in Northern Territory, Australia. Tierra Group assisted the 2025 Mt. Todd feasibility study project providing TSF and waste rock dump design and water…

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Lost Creek Project | USA

Tierra Group is assisting Millcreek Mining and Black Mountain Sand with the preparation of permitting documents for the Lost Creek Project; including a preliminary Stormwater Management Plan, preliminary Groundwater Monitoring Plan, and general permitting exhibits. Tierra Group conducted a site geotechnical…

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Stibnite Gold Project

The Stibnite project is located in the remote central Idaho Rockies near the town of Yellow Pine.  It is a brownfields gold-antimony project featuring three open pits and an anticipated 22,000 tpd plant throughput, along with challenging terrain and environmental…

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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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Antapaccay

Glencore’s Antapaccay mine is located in the Espinar province, Cuzco, Perú. Tierra Group logged geotechnical, geological and geo-mechanical properties of drill core advanced in Antapaccay's Northern Pit. Approximately 6,000 meters of core were logged. Specific samples were selected for geotechnical…

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Buriticá Tailings Stewardship & Cyanide Speciation

Tierra Group provided Tailings Stewardship Services for Continental Gold’s Buriticá Project in Antioquia, Columbia which included permitting support, Third-Party Review and construction and operations support. Tierra Group oversaw the development of a 2D hydrodynamic model to support the design of…

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Marlin Mine

Tierra Group provides Tailings Stewardship Services for the Marlin Mine Tailings Storage Facility. Tierra Group performed a 5-year Dam Safety Review consistent with the Canadian Dam Association protocols, a Facilitated Risk Assessment, site training and in depth inspections of management…

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