Geomechanics.io

Multidisciplinary consulting engineer Harley Haddow has opened a Bristol office, appointing former Hoare Lea director Scott Murray, a mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) specialist with over 25 years’ experience in heritage refurbishments, urban regeneration and large-scale residential masterplans, to lead South West operations. The Bristol base joins existing offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fort William and Inverness, signalling a deeper push into regional UK development markets. Murray is targeting early-stage input on net zero strategies, stressing simplified processes, collaborative design and integrated digital tools to keep low‑carbon retrofit and adaptation commercially viable.

Planning consultant Dalcour Maclaren has appointed former RSK Group environment division managing director and operations director Pete Whipp as its new managing director, succeeding Andrew Barker, who becomes chief client officer. Whipp brings 15 years’ experience at RSK working with developers, engineers and planners on complex infrastructure schemes where delivery, environmental constraints and stakeholder management must be balanced. The move signals Dalcour Maclaren’s intent to scale its advisory role on land, planning and environmental issues across major UK infrastructure programmes.

Metso will supply two Select horizontal grinding mills – a SAG mill and a ball mill – to Gruvaktiebolaget Viscaria’s re-opened Viscaria copper mine in Kiruna, northern Sweden. The plant is designed for 26,000 t/y of copper concentrate, positioning Viscaria as Sweden’s second-largest copper producer once ramp-up is complete. For process engineers, the Select platform’s standardised mill design and OEM-integrated lifecycle services should simplify sizing, installation and optimisation of the new grinding circuit.

The 5th Ministerial Roundtable at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh has concluded with the creation of a new ministerial steering group to shape future agendas on mineral security and supply-chain resilience. Convened by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, the roundtable gathered producing and consuming countries from Africa, Asia and Europe to discuss cross-border investment frameworks and shared ESG standards. The steering group will coordinate between forums, aiming to turn high-level commitments on responsible mining and critical minerals into specific policy and project pipelines.

Iván Arriagada, CEO of Antofagasta PLC and recently re-elected chairman of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for the World Mining Congress 2026. His dual role at a major Chilean copper producer and at ICMM positions him to address large-scale decarbonisation of mine fleets, tailings governance and ESG standards that are increasingly shaping project approvals and financing. Engineers can expect signals on future expectations for Scope 3 reporting, water stewardship in arid operations and standards for high-capacity tailings storage facilities.

L&M Radiator’s MESABI® Thermal Management System (MTMS), announced in October 2025, targets heat control for heavy-duty mobile mining equipment using electrified and low-emission powertrains in extreme climates. The modular system is designed for high-vibration, high-dust environments typical of large haul trucks and loaders, integrating engine, battery and power electronics cooling into a single rugged package. For mine operators planning next-generation fleets, MTMS points to tighter thermal envelopes and higher heat rejection demands that will drive radiator sizing, packaging and maintenance strategies.

Fortescue has acquired US-based Zitara to extend its Elysia battery intelligence platform from cloud-only analytics to combined cloud and on-site precision control for Battery Energy Storage Systems used in mining and heavy industry. Zitara’s embedded software and model-based diagnostics will be integrated with Elysia’s existing fleet-level, cloud-hosted monitoring to manage cell degradation, thermal behaviour and charge–discharge cycles in real time. The move signals tighter control of large-format lithium-ion packs in battery-electric haul trucks, pit-edge BESS and remote microgrids, with potential gains in cycle life and availability.

Metso has secured more than 100 new Life Cycle Services (LCS) contracts in 2025 with global and regional mining companies and large aggregates producers, extending long-term support across crushing, screening and grinding circuits. The renewed LCS strategy centres on performance-based agreements, OEM spare and wear parts supply, and embedded process expertise to stabilise throughput and equipment availability over multi-year terms. For mine operators, the expansion signals further outsourcing of mill and crusher maintenance, condition monitoring and reliability engineering to a single OEM partner.

Gold edging towards $5,000/oz, record copper prices and a broad-based metals rally have pushed the MINING.COM Top 50’s combined market value beyond $2 trillion, with six miners – including newcomer Agnico Eagle at just over $100 billion – now above the triple‑digit billion mark. Rio Tinto has slipped to fourth place at about $140.8 billion, lagging Zijin and Southern Copper, as investors question a potential Glencore tie‑up that could create a “copper king” producing around 1.6 Mt/y by 2028 and over 2 Mt/y in the early 2030s. Meanwhile, diversified majors BHP, Rio Tinto, Glencore, Vale and Anglo American continue to underperform more focused copper and gold specialists over three‑ to five‑year horizons.

Silver prices that surged 143% in 2025 to nearly $80/oz are set to remain supported by a global market deficit through 2026, driven by ETF inflows and industrial demand from solar panels and EVs, according to Fitch’s BMI. Beijing’s January curbs on physical silver exports have tightened inventories in London and Zurich, briefly pushing one‑month equivalent lease rates above 8%, while Mexico’s output is constrained by declining grades and reduced operations at Fresnillo’s San Julián mine. BMI contrasts this with platinum, where futures above $2,000/oz after the EU delayed its 2035 ICE vehicle ban are seen as out of line with only modest 2026 industrial demand growth and higher recycling.

Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group and Australian mining tech firm Decoda have formed a strategic alliance to deploy KalPRO HaulSight, an autonomous haul road hazard detection system aimed at boosting truck productivity, tyre life and fuel efficiency. Building on the existing KalPRO TireSight autonomous monitoring platform, HaulSight uses real-time data from haul trucks to identify surface defects and other road hazards that accelerate tyre wear or slow cycle times. The move signals growing integration of tyre condition analytics with haul road maintenance planning and fleet management systems in large open-pit operations.

Sealants & Pavement Adhesives is continuing to anchor its business around two long-standing Crafco product lines, supplying hot-applied crack sealants and joint sealants that many Australian road agencies have used for decades in sprayed seals and asphalt pavements. The company’s model is to keep the formulation and range stable while focusing on supply reliability, technical support and correct installation practice for longitudinal and transverse cracking. For asset managers, the message is that consistent materials plus workmanship remain central to extending pavement life and deferring heavy rehabilitation.

Komatsu is expanding its Smart Construction ecosystem across Australian infrastructure projects, using 3D site visualisation, connected plant and data dashboards to optimise earthworks and machine utilisation. New flagship machines are being paired with operator training programmes and digital workflows so contractors can integrate GNSS-guided dozers, excavators and haul trucks with cloud-based progress tracking. The shift targets safer, lower‑emission operations and more predictable delivery on large road and civil jobs as the market moves from peak activity into a recalibration phase.

The Sydney Metro Viaduct is a 3.2‑kilometre elevated structure linking Orchard Hills to Luddenham and carrying the new metro line across floodplains and major pipelines to Western Sydney International Airport. Extensive use of precast concrete elements, coordinated through National Precast members, is central to managing access over services corridors and soft ground while maintaining tight construction windows. For contractors and designers, the project illustrates how factory‑controlled precast production can de‑risk viaduct works in constrained greenfield corridors with complex underground utilities.

JCB has overhauled its skid steer loader layout with a single power boom and side-door entry to remove the need for operators to climb over attachments, directly targeting crush and entrapment injuries on civil and infrastructure sites. The redesigned cab and low-profile boom structure improve 360-degree visibility to ground level, while revised weight distribution and a compact wheelbase maintain the machine’s agility and breakout force for tasks such as trench backfilling and pavement preparation. For contractors, the key change is safer ingress/egress without sacrificing typical skid steer manoeuvrability.

Australian Flexible Pavement Association engineers argue that every kilometre of asphalt is a multi-layer system where mix design, binder selection and compaction control must be tuned to local traffic loading and climate rather than relying on generic specifications. The piece stresses integrating in-situ testing such as nuclear density gauges and falling weight deflectometers with plant telemetry to link laboratory performance data to field construction in real time. For practitioners, the message is tighter feedback loops between design, materials labs and paving crews to extend pavement life and cut whole-of-life maintenance.

SAMI Bitumen Technologies used the 20th AfPA International Flexible Pavement Conference in Adelaide to showcase polymer-modified binders and spray seal technologies aimed at longer-life, lower-maintenance pavements. Under the “Driving Innovation and Sustaining the Planet” theme, the company focused on flexible pavement solutions tailored to Australian conditions, including high-temperature rut resistance and improved fatigue performance. For asset owners and contractors, the message centres on extending resurfacing intervals and reducing whole-of-life costs on heavily trafficked road corridors.

Municipal Works Australia has been shortlisted in the 2025 Associations Forum Awards’ “Most Improved Association” category after five years of rapid growth, structural reform and a sharpened focus on municipal engineering and works. The association’s expansion has been driven by a revamped governance model, stronger advocacy on local road and drainage asset management, and technical events such as the annual Municipal Works and Engineering Conference. For councils and public works engineers, MWA’s stronger platform signals more coordinated training, standards discussion and peer exchange on pavement, plant and maintenance practices.

Metso has secured a major contract to supply engineering and key process equipment for a new primary copper smelter in Asia, centred on its Outotec Flash Smelting and Outotec Flash Converting technologies. The scope includes core furnace systems, gas handling and waste-heat recovery equipment designed to integrate with sulphur capture and downstream refining. For project teams, the choice of flash smelting implies high-grade concentrate feed, tight control of off-gas handling, and significant requirements for refractory design, structural support and foundation loading around the smelting line.

Rio Tinto’s Aboriginal Training and Liaison (ATAL) Program is being reshaped into a long-term, on-Country training model co-designed with Traditional Owners, moving beyond short, FIFO-based intakes. The initiative now embeds cultural protocols, language support and community-led mentoring into pre-employment and apprenticeship pathways at Pilbara iron ore operations, including mine services, mobile plant and processing roles. For site leaders and contractors, this signals tighter expectations around culturally informed supervision, recruitment and retention practices across Rio Tinto’s Western Australian assets.

Wildcat Resources’ Bolt Cutter Central discovery is emerging as the anchor asset in a new lithium hub in Western Australia’s Pilbara, adding to a district already hosting Tier-1 spodumene operations such as Pilgangoora and Wodgina. The project sits close to existing haul roads and port infrastructure at Port Hedland, positioning any future mine for relatively short transport distances and brownfield-style logistics. For geotechs and mine planners, the development signals more drilling, pit design and waste storage studies in a structurally complex, lithium–caesium–tantalum pegmatite terrain.

New Murchison Gold has reported high-grade gold intercepts from the Lydia project in Western Australia, signalling a potential new ore feed source for its nearby Crown Prince operation. The Lydia prospect, located in the Murchison district, is being evaluated as part of a broader production pipeline strategy to support and extend Crown Prince’s mine life. For mine planners and geotechs, the work points to additional drilling, resource definition and potential integration of Lydia’s ore into existing processing infrastructure rather than a standalone plant.

Outgoing Lynas Rare Earths chief executive Amanda Lacaze has signalled she would welcome a female successor to lead the ASX-listed producer, which operates the Mt Weld rare earths mine in Western Australia and the cracking and leaching plant in Kalgoorlie. Leadership continuity at Lynas, a key non-Chinese supplier of neodymium–praseodymium (NdPr) for permanent magnets, will be closely watched as the company advances processing capacity upgrades and navigates regulatory scrutiny of its downstream operations in Malaysia.

DfT has confirmed £45bn for Northern Powerhouse Rail, centred on a new high‑speed corridor between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, with upgrades to existing TransPennine routes to raise line speeds and capacity through key bottlenecks such as Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly. The chancellor also pledged a new Midlands–Manchester railway, expected to connect Birmingham and the East Midlands to Manchester using a mix of new build and upgraded classic lines. For civil and geotechnical teams, the programme signals large volumes of tunnelling, major junction remodelling and complex works in constrained urban rail corridors.