Rock Armor Cover Pilot Project
Location
USA
Client
Confidental
Project Description
GSA designed, oversaw construction and is currently maintaining and monitoring a rock armor cover system performance designed to evaluate net percolation into spent heap leach ore. Two large lysimeters were constructed on 2.5(H):1(V) side-slopes, to include the installation of monitoring instrumentation both inside and outside the lysimeters to evaluate net percolation into the rock armor cover system. Other monitoring includes systems designed to measure surface water runoff and meteorological conditions.
GSA performed both in-situ and laboratory hydraulic characterization of waste rock and cover materials and conduced initial cover system modeling to assist in the lysimeter design. The project will be monitored for a 10 year period to provide a long-term assessment of rock armor cover system performance.
Project Highlights
- Experimental design of large lysimeters to evaluate net percolation through rock armor cover into heap leach material
- In-situ and laboratory characterization of heap leach and rock armor hydraulic properties
- Design, installation and monitoring of in-situ, automated monitoring cover performance monitoring systems
- Long-term maintenance and monitoring of rock armor cover monitoring system
- Data collection, assessment and reporting
