Geomechanics.io

BHP has won the Exceptional Innovation in Mining Award at the Global Resources Innovation Expo for deploying what it calls the world’s first robotic arm thermal lancing solution at the Olympic Dam smelter in South Australia. The system automates thermal lancing tasks that were previously done manually in high-heat, confined areas around the smelter and associated equipment. For mining engineers, the key shift is moving personnel away from direct exposure during lancing operations while maintaining access for clearing blockages and maintaining refractory-lined vessels.

The Government of Canada has pledged C$500 million to support development of a large-scale block cave operation at Newmont’s Red Chris copper-gold mine in British Columbia, backing the project as it moves through internal approvals toward a final investment decision. The funding targets the transition from the current open pit to an underground block cave, a shift that typically demands major upfront capital for deep-level hoisting, cave propagation monitoring, and ground support systems. For geotechnical and mining teams, the commitment signals federal support for long-life, high-capital underground caving infrastructure in Canada’s porphyry sector.

Underground mining contractor COMINVI S.A. de C.V. is expanding its Sandvik fleet to 73 units across 2025–2026, with a June-quarter order for 46 machines including 12 Toro TH430 trucks and 11 Sandvik loaders and drills for multiple contracts in Mexico. The investment concentrates on standardising underground haulage and development equipment, which should simplify maintenance, parts logistics and operator training across dispersed sites. For mine owners, a larger, uniform Sandvik fleet at CoMinVi projects may support higher equipment availability and more predictable production scheduling.

Metso has secured continuation of a long-term supply agreement with a major South American miner for MX crusher wear parts used in Nordberg MP1250 cone crushers, in what it calls one of its largest such orders in the region. The deal is underpinned by joint technology development and continuous improvement work with the client, enabling Metso to roll out new wear-liner solutions tailored to the MP1250 duty. For plant and maintenance engineers, the agreement signals ongoing OEM-backed optimisation of liner life, crusher availability and energy performance on high-throughput secondary/tertiary circuits.

Explosives specialist Enaex S.A. has formed a joint venture with N.A.N. GreenMet to establish a new explosives company in India, extending Enaex’s internationalisation strategy into one of the world’s fastest-growing mining and infrastructure markets. The partnership gives Enaex direct access to Indian surface and underground blasting demand, while N.A.N. GreenMet advances its plan to build large-scale industrial platforms in key domestic sectors. For mine operators, the move signals increased competition and potential new supply options in bulk explosives, initiation systems and blasting services.

Exxaro’s Grootegeluk coal mine in South Africa will serve as the test bed for Hitachi Construction Machinery’s new hybrid mining truck, aimed at cutting diesel consumption and advancing dump-truck decarbonisation ahead of the company’s rebrand to LANDCROS in April 2027. The trial will focus on integrating hybrid drive with digital monitoring systems to optimise haul profiles and energy recovery on large, continuous-pit haul routes. For mine planners and fleet engineers, performance data from Grootegeluk’s high-volume overburden and coal haul will be critical for future fleet selection and infrastructure power planning.

Emerald Resources has signed two Letters of Award appointing MACA Mining, a Thiess Group subsidiary, as preferred mining services contractor for its 100% owned Dingo Range Gold Project in Western Australia and Okvau Gold Mine in Cambodia. The mandate covers open-pit mining services across both greenfield and operating assets, consolidating drill-and-blast, load-and-haul and ancillary fleet under a single provider. For engineers, the move signals continuity of contract mining at Okvau and a likely MACA-led ramp-up strategy at Dingo Range once development approvals and mine plans are finalised.

World Mining Congress 2026 in Lima drew more than 5,500 participants from 55 countries, turning Peru into a temporary hub for global mining policy, technology and project development debates. Delegates from industry, government, academia and international organisations focused on mining’s role in tackling major challenges such as energy transition metals, decarbonisation of operations and social licence to operate. For engineers and operators, the scale and diversity of attendance signal strong international interest in Peruvian deposits, project pipelines and regulatory stability.

The first of 12 Sydney Metro trains for the Western Sydney Airport line has arrived in New South Wales, with the three-carriage set shipped from Vienna, unloaded at Port Kembla and assembled at the new Stabling and Maintenance Facility at Orchard Hills. The delivery marks a key milestone towards initial metro services to the terminal ahead of airport opening, enabling systems integration, dynamic testing and driver training on the dedicated 23-kilometre line. For civil and rail contractors, the train’s arrival locks in programme pressure on track, power, signalling and station fit-out works along the corridor.

Bulk Expo 2026 has released its exhibitor directory, confirming a broad mix of global OEMs, Australian engineering firms and technology vendors focused on bulk solids handling equipment, storage and transfer systems. The Melbourne event will run alongside mining, agriculture, energy and industrial forums, positioning it as a hub for solutions such as high-capacity conveyors, automated shiploaders, stacker–reclaimers and advanced dust control. For civil, mining and materials engineers, the exhibitor list signals a concentrated opportunity to compare new designs for chutes, silos, feeders and terminal infrastructure in one venue.

Caddick will construct 141 extra care homes at Torus Homes’ £50m Blowick Moss Lane scheme in Southport, backed by over £11m from Homes England. The project comprises 118 apartments in the main extra care block, 18 apartments in two independent living buildings and five mews houses, all designed for older residents with communal facilities to support independent living. All units will use electric panel heaters and hot water heat pumps with no gas boilers, and the contract was let via Torus’ four-year Contractors Framework for North West housing and retrofit works.

Construction has started on phase two of Redbridge Quay at Wirral Waters, where Peel Waters, Qualis Developments and Forshaw Group are delivering 90 flats in six four-storey blocks comprising 84 one-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. The waterside scheme, approved by Wirral Council earlier in 2026, includes rooftop solar panels, EV charging infrastructure, cycle parking and landscaped communal gardens with new tree planting. Improved public realm will link directly to the waterfront promenade, extending regeneration of complex brownfield land following the Miller’s Quay and phase one completions.

Manitowoc has launched its MGX Equipment Services business in Europe with new UK branches in Buckingham and Barnsley, targeting mixed-brand mobile crane fleets with sales, rental, OEM parts, and repair and remanufacturing. The Buckingham site has four large service bays with two 40‑tonne overhead cranes, an inspection pit, welding from basic repairs to complex structural work, and CPCS operator certification. Barnsley provides two fully equipped bays, full hydraulic and electrical diagnostics, full engine rebuild capability, and a large test area for thorough crane examinations.

North Lincolnshire Council has scrapped the long-delayed Lincolnshire Lakes scheme and launched the Trent Vale plan for Scunthorpe, still targeting around 6,000 new homes on land already benefitting from 2019 flood defences and two approved M181 junctions. Trent Vale proposes six distinct villages – Burgess Croft, Burleigh Green, Woldmere, Ashmere, Southgate Hollow and Brumby Green – each tied to local landscape and heritage. For civil and geotechnical teams, the existing flood mitigation and motorway access works materially de-risk primary infrastructure but detailed layouts and phasing remain to be defined with developers.

AtkinsRéalis has appointed Ian Dyck, formerly head of AECOM’s Canadian water business, as global market lead for water to drive growth in complex water programmes including large-scale wastewater and capital investment schemes in North America. The company’s current portfolio spans flood resilience and water management programmes across the US and Australia and major UK work such as the Thames Tideway sewer project. Based in Calgary, Dyck brings design and senior leadership experience from Matrix Solutions and Worley Parsons on major water and infrastructure programmes.

Pupils have returned to St Leonard’s Catholic School in Durham after BAM UK & Ireland rebuilt the campus when more than 80% of the original structure was found to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The rebuild removes RAAC roof and floor planks that had raised structural integrity and long-term durability concerns, replacing them with conventional reinforced concrete and steel-framed elements. For asset owners, the project signals continued large-scale RAAC remediation, with significant implications for lifecycle assessment and structural inspection regimes across similar 1960s–1990s buildings.

Silver Mines has lodged an updated Biodiversity Development Assessment Report and a formal response to a New South Wales Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure request for information for its Bowdens silver project near Mudgee, moving the open-cut development further through the state approvals process. The BDAR revision addresses site-specific flora and fauna impacts and offsets under NSW biodiversity legislation, a key hurdle for final project consent. Geotechnical and mine planners should expect tighter constraints on pit footprint, waste rock emplacement and haul road alignments as biodiversity conditions are finalised.

Telstra used the Pilbara Summit to position the Pilbara as a testbed for high-capacity fibre, 5G and private LTE networks to support autonomous haulage, remote operations centres and real-time orebody modelling across Western Australia’s iron ore hubs. Executives pointed to existing backbone fibre along key rail corridors and planned upgrades to edge computing and low-latency links for mine-to-port control, including shiploaders and stockyard stacker–reclaimers. For engineers, the message is that future pit design, fleet automation and regional workforce planning will depend on resilient, carrier-grade digital infrastructure.

Bend-tech Group is supplying custom machine parts and access systems to surface mines across Australia, targeting critical-path work such as shovels, draglines and haul trucks that cannot sit idle waiting on OEM components. The Perth-based fabricator, now with more than 40 years’ experience and approved-vendor status with multiple tier-one miners including Rio Tinto, focuses on engineered handrails, work platforms and guarding built to site-specific dimensions and load ratings. For maintenance and reliability teams, the key value is rapid design–fabricate–install cycles that keep workshops and production fleets operating.

Streamline Blast Solutions has introduced the biodegradable Envirocone blast-hole plug, designed to maintain blasthole integrity to detonation while replacing conventional plastic cones that often fail under water or stemming pressure. The single-piece unit is installed with the primer and detonator, eliminating separate plug handling and reducing manual lifting at the collar, and is formulated to break down after firing rather than leaving plastic fragments in the muckpile. For drill-and-blast engineers, the system targets reduced hole collapse, fewer redrills and lower clean-up costs without changing existing explosive loading practices.

Rincon Resources has signed a binding heads of agreement with Maverick Minerals Australia to restructure its West Arunta exposure, signalling a portfolio shift while Terrain Minerals advances gold exploration and ABx Group pushes rare earths and broader critical minerals work. The activity spans portfolio optimisation, greenfields drilling and technology development across Australian projects, targeting gold and rare earths systems rather than bulk commodities. For geotechnical and mining teams, the moves point to continued demand for early-stage resource definition, structural mapping and metallurgical testwork in remote terrains.

The Tasmanian Government has created Building Tasmania as a central agency to coordinate planning, governance and delivery of state infrastructure, spanning roads, public transport, housing and community assets. Led by the Department of State Growth under Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent, the body will consolidate project management, procurement and approvals that were previously split across multiple departments. For contractors and designers, this signals more standardised processes, single-point client engagement and potentially faster decision cycles on road upgrades, bridge works and social infrastructure packages.

Network Rail engineers have started installing sections of a new pedestrian bridge at Tenby railway station in Pembrokeshire as part of a major accessibility upgrade. The scheme is expected to deliver step-free access between platforms, likely involving new lifts and compliant ramp gradients to meet modern PRM-TSI and Building Regulations standards. For civil and structural teams, key issues will include working within the constrained historic station footprint, maintaining rail operations during possession windows, and managing foundations close to existing track and platform structures.

United Utilities has installed a £6M underground stormwater storage tank in St Helens, Merseyside, providing 700,000l of offline capacity to intercept and store peak runoff before controlled discharge to the sewer network. The buried structure is designed to reduce storm-driven spills and associated pollution, improving receiving water quality during intense rainfall events. For civil and drainage engineers, the scheme signals continued investment in high-capacity attenuation infrastructure to manage combined sewer overflows in constrained urban catchments.