MacArmour & SteelGrid

The Çöpler mine site is an open pit operation located 8 km away from Ilıc District of Erzincan City, approximately 550 km east of Ankara in Middle Anatolia with the capacity to process approximately 20,000 tonnes of oxide ore per day. During the extension of the waste storage area, rockfall from the rocky slopes next to the construction area forced the company to stop the construction temporarily in order to prevent damage on the membranes and to decrease the risk for the construction crew.

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The 103 km long motorway is a key connection between Durres Port, Albania's primary harbour on the Adriatic Sea and Kosovo. Journey times of between six and ten hours will be reduced to two by this new road and the new route will serve to stimulate the economy in Albania's North Eastern region. Due to the mountainous topography of the area, many sections of the motorway run alternately through large steep embankment fill sections and slope cuts, with soil reinforcement, rock-fall protection, erosion control and revegetation measures required. The availability of large quantities of rock fills generated by the slope excavations made the choice of embankment fills a more cost effective alternative to the construction of viaducts. Of the 70 retaining walls required, those up to 15m high were constructed of concrete. However, the 30 walls over 15m high were designed as reinforced soil structures to re-use site won fill and reduce the visual impact.

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Otjikoto Mine, located in north-central Namibia, is operated as a large-scale open-pit gold mine. The pit comprises benches excavated in heterogeneous metamorphic and intrusive rock formations subject to progressive weathering, joint dilation and localised surficial instability. Routine geotechnical monitoring recorded increasing rates of shallow sloughing and raveling along highwall faces, driven primarily by surface erosion, stress-relief fracturing and the presence of unfavourable discontinuity orientations. A section of the eastern highwall exhibited accelerated degradation following a seasonal rainfall period, prompting concern regarding safety, ore access continuity, and compliance with mine geotechnical TARP (Trigger Action Response Plans). The mine required an immediate, engineered containment solution that could stabilise loose blocks, prevent further raveling, and ensure safe working conditions on active production benches. Geotechnical inspections identified: Surface erosion and ravelling along a 35–45 m high exposure with a bench width insufficient for mechanical scaling. Rock mass characterised by blocky, jointed units, with persistent discontinuities day-lighting onto the slope face, increasing the likelihood of wedge- and planar-type failures. Progressive deterioration following rainfall infiltration, driving reduction in cohesion and increased detachment of surficial material. Hazard to personnel and equipment operating on lower benches, with recorded rockfall events (50–150 mm fragments) posing an operational risk. Urgent requirement due to production sequencing—delays would impact gold output and mine planning targets. The mine needed a rapidly deployable, robust, and low-maintenance protection system capable of containing ongoing raveling without requiring heavy bench re-profiling or extended access delays.

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