Geotechnical Engineering

Hydrau-Tech performs a range of services for the evaluation, analysis, and design of new and existing geotechnical features. They have expertise and extensive knowledge in dam design (including tailing dams), slope stability analysis, foundation investigation, etc.

Hydrau-Tech provides services including:

  • Design, operation and rehabilitation/modernization of irrigation infrastructure
  • Erosion and sedimentation
  • Geotechnical engineering design
  • Slope stability analysis
  • Geologic evaluation
  • Subsurface exploration
Relevant Projects:
Reservoir and Embankment Projects
  1. 280-foot-high Upstream-constructed Tailings Dam, Mountain Pass Mine, California, USA

Permitting, slope stability analyses, tailings dam design, dam foundation investigation, packer testing, supervision of construction quality control, and on-going instrumentation reporting to the State Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), for SNC-Lavalin Engineers & Constructors, Toronto, Canada.

  1. Ten‑acre Sludge Evaporation Pond, Wamsutter, Wyoming, USA

Soil investigation, slope stability analyses, seepage analyses, and pond liner design for permitting construction for Marathon Oil Company.

  1. Two 30-million-gallon Buried Water Reservoirs, Yorba Linda, California, USA

Geotechnical investigation, seismic design criteria, lateral earth pressures, mountainous terrain for the Yorba Linda Water District.

  1. 500‑Acre Tideland Industrial/Commercial/Residential Project, Redwood City, California, USA

Foundation investigation, settlement analyses, pile design, and during-construction grading operations for Mobil Land Development Company.

  1. Several 3 to 5 Million Gallon, Buried Concrete Reservoirs, Los Angeles County, California, USA

Geotechnical investigation, slope stability analyses, and earthquake response design criteria.

  1. Soula Joule Dam, Marin County, California, USA

Geological Investigation, fault-trace mapping and trenching, and foundation pressure testing for the North Marin County Water District.

  1. Stafford Lake Reservoir, Marin County, California, USA

Conducted preliminary geologic evaluation for the North Marin County Water District.

  1. 300-foot-high Tailings Dam, Nevada Molybdenum Project, Tonopah, Nevada, USA

Subsurface exploration and in-situ and laboratory permeability and soil strength testing for Anaconda Copper Company (c/o Bechtel Incorporated).

  1. Earthen Dam, Bolinas, California, USA

Site reconnaissance and feasibility study for the Bolinas Community Public Utilities District.

  1. Warm Springs Reservoir, Alameda County, California, USA

Fault-trace and fracture lineaments study; geologic and soil investigations for the Alameda County Water District.

Mining Projects
  1. Mountain Pass Mine, one hour south of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Permitting, slope stability analyses, tailings dam design, dam foundation investigation and packer (in-situ permeability) testing, and supervision of construction quality control for 30-foot raise for Molycorp, Inc. and Kilborn, Inc., Toronto.

  1. Toquepala and Cuajone Open Pit Copper Mines, north of Cajamarca, Peru

Design of stormwater detention dams to heights of 140 feet; HDPE-lined solution collection ponds; deep grout curtains; solution pipelines and collection sumps; access roads; dam outlet and spillway designs for Southern Peru Copper Corporation c/o Bechtel/Cosapi (a joint venture).

  1. Goldstrike Mine (active, large open pit gold), 27 miles north of Carlin, Nevada, USA

Supervision of preparation, review and approval of all general layout, civil, and structural design drawings for major mill and autoclave expansion project; secondary spill containment plans for existing AA Block Solution Ponds; civil/environmental design the North Block Leach #4 Gold Adsorption Plant and Ponds; permit coordination with State regulatory authorities; supervised preparation of all as-built drawings and coordinated during-construction design modifications over a three-year period for Kilborn International, Inc. and Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc.

  1. Miekle Mine (active, underground gold), 30 miles north of Carlin, Nevada, USA

Environmental issues and reclamation plans, proposed surface refrigeration, dewatering and materials handling facilities for the proposed underground gold mine development for Kilborn, Inc.

  1. Smuggler Mine (inactive, lead and silver), Aspen, Colorado, USA

Subsidence investigation, proposed Mollie Gibson Park proposed over an abandoned silver, lead, and zinc mine and associated waste rock piles (now an EPA Super Fund Site) for Pitkin County.

  1. Ruby Hill Mine (active, gold), Eureka, Nevada, USA

Foundation investigation and foundation design for new 3,500-ton-per-day gold processing plant including 3-stage crushing, ball mill, grinding, agglomeration, heap leaching and carbon absorption circuits for Homestake Mining Company and Kilborn SNC-Lavalin.

  1. Large Molybdenum Mine, south of Tonopah, Nevada, USA

Subsurface investigation and laboratory testing, 300‑foot‑high molybdenum tailings dam for Bechtel Corporation.

  1. Black Thunder Mine, Cordero Mine, Rawhide Mine, Buckskin Mine, Eagle Butte Mine, Belle Ayer Mine, and the Antelope Mine (all active, large open pit coal mines in the vicinity of Gillette, Wyoming), USA

Geotechnical investigations and stability analyses for surface runoff reservoirs and detention basins up to 50 feet in height; for mine backfill slopes, roads, railroad spurs, bridges, and subsurface bunker-type (slot) coal silos for respective coal mining companies.

  1. Hawks Nest Coal Mine (abandoned, underground coal), underground coal mine located between Paonia and Hotchkiss, Colorado, USA

Stability analyses and reclamation plan for Northwest Pipeline Corporation.

  1. Goldstrike Mine (active, open pit gold), 27 miles north of Carlin, Nevada, USA

Preliminary layout and design of bio-oxidation, demonstration heap leach gold recovery system for Kilborn, Inc.

  1. Lisbon Mine (inactive, abandoned uranium), south of Moab, Utah, USA

Reclamation services and siting and preliminary design of several new tailings disposal dams and stormwater diversion facilities for possible reopening of old mill for Rio Algom/Cotter Corporations.