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

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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Sepon Mine CQA

Tierra Group performed Resident Engineering and Construction Quality Control/Assurance during a pilot Heap Leach Facility construction, and Life of Mine Heap Leach and Tailings Sorage Facility siting, design, and tailings management at Lane Xang Minerals' Sepon Mine in Laos.

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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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Gediktepe Peer Review

Tierra Group provided technical direction and review of the Gediktepe Heap Leach Facility (HLF), ponds, and waste rock dump facility designs. Tierra Group will also provide CQA review during HLF construction.

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Jaguar Mines

Jaguar's gold operations, Turmalina, Paciência and Caeté, are located in the Iron Quadrangle region, a prolific greenstone belt near the city of Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Jaguar controls 27,357 hectares of mineral concessions in this…

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Fekola Project | Mali

Earthworks & Construction Quality Control (CQC) Services Tierra Group provided earthworks and concrete Construction Quality Control (CQC) services for B2Gold's Fekola Mine in western Mali. Tierra Group overcame the remote location and kept a dedicated team on-site throughout the 2-year…

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Goldstrike Mine

Engineer of Record Barrick’s Goldstrike Mine processes 30,000 tons of gold ore per day from its combined open-pit/underground operations located in the historic Carlin Trend in Nevada, U.S.A. Goldstrike’s tailings are stored in the North Block Tailings Disposal Facility (NBTDF).…

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Aranzazú Mine

The Aranzazú Mine is a copper-gold-silver mine located in the northeastern region of Zacatecas, Mexico. The mine includes both open pit and underground operations. The mill currently processes 2,600 tonnes of ore per day. Tierra Group finalized the geotechnical investigation…

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Hermosa Project

Tierra Group provided a Third-Party review of the Hermosa Project Tailings Storage Facility Design and Construction stages 1 & 2 in Patagonia, Arizona

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El Mochito Mine

El Mochito is an underground zinc/silver mine located in the Santa Barbara Mountains in north-central Honduras. Tierra Group’s Team has been providing Tailings Stewardship Services at El Mochito continuously for the past 26 years. Since 1989, Tierra Group engineers have provided…

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Midas Gold Project

Midas Gold’s 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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Topia Mine

Topia Mine Phases 1-3Tierra Group supervised the first 3 phases of Geologic Mapping and Instrumentation Installation and developed a Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall Design at Great Panther Silver’s Topia Mine in Durango, Mexico.

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