Geomechanics.io

Mining influencers on TikTok and other platforms are rapidly building audiences, with Colombian mining and metallurgy student “Paula Mineria” reaching 110,600 TikTok followers and 1.6 million likes through site-visit videos filmed at operations in Colombia, Japan, Chile, Panama, Canada and the US. Underground miner Cory Rockwell has amassed 117,100 followers and 5 million likes by posting detailed clips of scaling walls, refuge chambers and explosives rounds at sites including Barrick’s Turquoise Ridge and Coeur’s Kensington gold mine. Their content, often company-approved and safety-PPE compliant, is being used by operators and recruiters to counter negative perceptions and showcase modern, regulated mining work.

A New Civil Engineer webinar examines how the rapid spread of BIM, CDEs and asset management platforms on major infrastructure schemes is creating a looming “data handover gap” at project close-out. Speakers focus on integrating design, construction and O&M datasets into a single, validated asset information model that meets ISO 19650 requirements rather than leaving owners with fragmented PDFs, native models and sensor feeds. For geotechnical and civil teams, the discussion stresses early definition of data schemas for ground models, as-built records and inspection regimes to avoid costly rework at commissioning.

Europe’s energy transition is increasingly constrained by utilities gridlock, with overloaded 110kV–400kV transmission corridors and urban distribution networks delaying grid connections for large offshore wind farms and 100MW-scale electrolysers by up to a decade. Transmission system operators and DSOs are turning to underground 132kV cable routes in dense city centres, retrofitting existing 220kV lines with high-temperature low-sag conductors, and deploying digital substations with advanced protection relays to squeeze more capacity from legacy assets. For civil and geotechnical teams, this means more complex multi-utility tunnelling, deeper cable ducts in congested ground, and tighter outage windows driving offsite prefabrication.

Nova has switched on a floating solar farm at a Cheshire silica sand quarry, delivering on-site power generation for one of the UK’s largest producers of high-quality industrial silica sand. Developed with environmental consultancy RSK, the array is mounted on a buoyant platform system on the quarry lake, preserving limited land area for extraction and processing infrastructure. The installation reduces grid dependence for energy-intensive washing and grading plant, and will require geotechnical and hydraulic checks on anchoring, bank stability and water-level variability over the quarry’s remaining life.

New guidance for UK local highway authorities sets out how to harden road networks against more frequent extreme rainfall, heatwaves and flooding linked to climate change. The document focuses on resilience planning for carriageways, embankments, cuttings and drainage assets, encouraging risk-based asset management, climate-adjusted design lives and targeted interventions on vulnerable links. Practitioners are steered towards integrating updated rainfall projections, surface water modelling and slope stability assessments into maintenance programmes and capital schemes.

Inter‑helix spacing for helical piles and anchors is traced from early empirical rules of thumb (typically 3× helix diameter) to current design approaches based on cylindrical shear and individual bearing models. The review compares performance implications of close spacing (overlapping stress bulbs, higher installation torque, potential group behaviour) versus wider spacing (reduced interaction, deeper embedment, more steel), and links them to torque‑to‑capacity correlations. For practitioners, it clarifies when legacy spacing rules remain adequate and when soil type, load regime, and installation constraints justify project‑specific optimisation.

Carlyle has agreed to sell Flender, the Bocholt-headquartered global supplier of mechanical drive technology for conveyors, mills and hoists, to Triton Fund 6 advised by Triton Partners, with closing targeted for Q4 2026 subject to regulatory approvals. Flender’s portfolio spans gear units, couplings and condition monitoring systems widely used in high-torque mining applications, including overland conveyor drives and grinding mill gearboxes. The change of ownership signals continued private equity interest in critical drivetrain OEMs, with potential implications for service models and aftermarket support at large mine sites.

PT Freeport Indonesia’s Grasberg underground complex has received its 15th Caterpillar R2900 XE diesel-electric LHD from dealer Trakindo, consolidating one of the world’s largest fleets of Cat underground loaders at a single copper-gold operation. The 15 t-class R2900 XE couples a diesel engine to an electric drive train, cutting fuel burn and heat load versus conventional mechanical-drive R2900 units, which is critical for deep, high-production stopes. New deployments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo signal growing interest in diesel-electric loading for African hard-rock mines facing ventilation and power-cost constraints.

Kryton International will debut at EXPONOR in Chile this month, showcasing its Hard-Cem® integral hardening technology already deployed in British Columbia mining infrastructure. Hard-Cem is added directly to concrete to improve abrasion and erosion resistance in high-wear elements such as haul road slabs, ore passes and crusher foundations, aiming to extend service life without increasing cement content. For mine operators, the pitch centres on reduced shutdowns for resurfacing, lower lifecycle concrete volumes and more predictable performance in aggressive, high-impact environments.

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation have bunkered a B100 biodiesel blend, derived from used cooking oil and waste animal fats, into a BHP‑chartered bulk carrier on an existing iron ore route. The pilot will test combustion performance, fuel stability and engine compatibility of the multi‑feedstock fuel in a conventional marine diesel system without hardware modifications. Results will inform future large‑scale deployment of drop‑in biofuels across BHP’s dry bulk fleet and similar long‑haul iron ore supply chains.

Sandvik has secured a 45-unit underground fleet order from Chinese contractor JCHX Mining Management for deployment at MMG’s Khoemacau Copper Mine in Botswana, booked in Q2 2026. The package includes Toro LH621i loaders, Toro TH663i trucks and Sandvik DD422i development drills, giving JCHX a fully integrated load–haul–drill fleet on a single automation-ready platform. The deal signals continued investment in high-capacity, intelligent equipment at Khoemacau, with implications for fleet standardisation, digital maintenance planning and future autonomous operation.

Metso has launched three new primary crushers – the Primarok™ gyratory, Optirok™ jaw and Durarok™ sizer – targeting high-capacity, modern mining plants. The range combines large primary throughput with designs aimed at safer maintenance, such as improved access to wear parts and reduced need for manual intervention around the crushing chamber. For mine planners and plant engineers, the trio broadens options for matching crusher type to ore characteristics and downstream circuit design without changing supplier.

Weir has relocated its Perth Minerals Division operations to a new 14,500 sq.m purpose-built facility in Hazelmere, marking a major expansion of its Western Australia footprint. The larger site increases capacity to service and rebuild critical mining equipment such as pumps, crushers and slurry handling systems, enabling shorter overhaul and refurbishment cycles for iron ore and gold operations. Faster turnaround on heavy equipment maintenance is likely to reduce downtime risk for remote WA mines that rely on tight shutdown windows and high utilisation rates.

Cobre Las Cruces S.A.U. has completed its sale from First Quantum Minerals to Global Panduro, controlled by Resource Capital Funds, in a deal valued at up to US$190 million, clearing the way for the Polymetallurgical Refinery (PMR) project near Seville. The PMR is designed to process complex polymetallic ores on site rather than exporting concentrates, shifting the operation from conventional open-pit copper cathode production towards an integrated hydrometallurgical flowsheet. For engineers, the ownership change signals continuity for permitting, plant design and potential underground transition planning at this brownfield Iberian Pyrite Belt asset.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Boliden have completed an autonomous haulage project for tailings dam construction at the Garpenberg zinc mine in Sweden, the first deliverable under their 2023 memorandum of understanding. Volvo’s autonomous haul trucks operated on a defined haul road between the open pit and the tailings facility, integrating with existing conventional fleets and site traffic management. The trial provides data on cycle times, berm and ramp design, and interaction rules needed to scale autonomous haulage for future dam lifts and other overburden movements on Boliden sites.

Epiroc has secured an order from Heidelberg Materials to deploy its LinkOA autonomous haulage system on driverless haul trucks at an Australian quarry, extending the platform from large open-pit mines into the quarrying and aggregates sector. The project will adapt LinkOA’s mine-proven fleet management, collision avoidance and traffic control capabilities to shorter haul cycles, tighter geometries and mixed-traffic quarry conditions. For quarry operators, this signals accelerating interest in OEM-agnostic autonomy retrofits on existing haul fleets to cut operating costs and manage labour constraints.

Niftylift has launched MyNifty, a machine-specific online support hub that consolidates manuals, technical documentation, error code lookup, cage overload override reset codes and NiftyPRO video guidance into a single portal. Operators, hire companies and service technicians can access a dedicated page for each model by scanning a QR code on the serial plate or entering the serial number via the Niftylift website, using any mobile device. Most machines in current service already carry QR-coded plates, while older units can be brought into the system through a serial-number QR search tool.

McPhillips is using a new Cat 308 mini excavator to construct a 1,230 m² Rebuild Centre of Excellence at Finning’s Cannock headquarters and has added three Cat 305s to its Shropshire fleet under a new partnership with Finning UK & Ireland. The 8‑tonne‑class 308 and 5‑tonne‑class 305 machines are being used for confined-area works on the workshop build, where lift-and-dig capability, low fuel burn and reduced noise are critical. McPhillips reports the 308’s reliability and precision are key to maintaining programme and safety in restricted zones.

The Cockcrow Bridge, delivered by Balfour Beatty and AtkinsRéalis for National Highways, has opened as the UK’s first heathland green bridge, carrying restored lowland heath across the A3 between Ockham and Wisley Commons as part of the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley Interchange upgrade. Around 10,000 m² of heathland turf has been translocated from nearby donor sites using specialist handling equipment, with the vegetation allowed to re‑establish gradually to support species including deer, badgers, voles and sand lizards. By reconnecting fragmented habitats in an area where heathland has declined by 85% over 200 years, the structure functions as both a multi‑user crossing and a critical ecological corridor.

AECOM has engineered the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion in London with LANZA atelier as a fully demountable hybrid prestressed masonry structure, using a slender internal steel subframe and threaded bars along the wall tops to carry roof loads and control deflection and dynamic response. To enable brick reuse without traditional mortar beds, the team relied on soft joints, wedges and shims to manage variable brick sizes and achieve uniform prestress without local damage. Full-scale physical testing was used to calibrate computational models and validate the composite action of the curved “crinkle-crankle” walls and piers.

Alchemist DB Limited has been fined £20,000 plus £5,000 costs at Luton Magistrates Court after 35-year-old labourer Mykhalio Hustei died in October 2021, falling into a rainwater-filled foundation trench on a Bovington High Street flat development. An HSE investigation found criss-crossing excavation footings with no designated safe walkways, workers using unsecured, handrail-free boards and planks that bowed and became slippery in wet weather, and no dedicated site lighting. Only after enforcement did the firm install scaffold-framed walkways over exposed excavations, as required under CDM 2015 Regulation 22(2).

Homes England’s Cambridge Growth Company and The Hill Group have acquired the 700‑acre Cambridge East site, including Cambridge City Airport, to deliver more than 10,000 homes and at least 3 million sq ft of commercial space supporting around 9,000 jobs. Marshall Group will relocate airport operations by mid‑2029, clearing the way for a large mixed‑use urban extension with schools, healthcare facilities, extensive public green space and a potential regional construction training hub. The scheme is expected to be served by the proposed Cambridge East station, improving rail links to central Cambridge, London, Bedford and Oxford.

HyKit has launched its first mobile hydrogen refueller – a trailer‑mounted “hydrogen bowser” – aimed at supplying fuel to off‑grid construction sites and plant. Executive chair Jo Bamford outlines plans for a global hydrogen supply chain spanning production, compression and on‑site dispensing, targeting heavy equipment such as excavators, generators and site vehicles. For contractors, the concept removes dependence on fixed refuelling stations and opens a pathway to trial hydrogen plant on existing projects without major infrastructure works.

Alkane Resources has started diamond drilling at the historic Nagambie mine in Victoria under an earn-in agreement with Nagambie Resources, targeting expansion of the antimony–gold resource. The initial program covers mining licence MIN 5412 and exploration licence EL 5511, marking the first exploration phase that could lead to a formal joint venture. For geologists and mine planners, the work will refine antimony–gold grade distribution and geometry, informing potential underground designs and metallurgical testwork for complex Au–Sb mineralisation.