field services
Okane’s Field Services cover the following individual services:
material characterization
Okane provides a variety of services related to geotechnical and geochemical characterization of geologic materials.
Material characterization is the building block for developing a defensible closure plan for a mine waste storage facility. Failure of a closure plan is very often the result of poor material characterization. Different levels of material characterization can be conducted, usually dependent on the complexity and stage of the project. With the completion of each successive level, the amount of risk or uncertainty in the long-term performance of a waste storage facility closure design should be reduced.
Conceptual, analytical, and/or numerical modelling will be required at some point during the design of a closure plan for a mine waste storage facility. Material properties are required for any modelling; hence, a certain level of material characterization is required on all projects. We need to take advantage of ‘common sense’, but, most likely, stakeholders will require an appropriate level of material characterization. In addition, conducting an appropriate material characterization program is paramount for developing a ‘link’ between impacts to the receiving environment and cover system performance such that site-specific cover performance criteria can be developed.
Borrow Characterization SMA- Env Forum, Bonstrom et al. Gunnar
field programs
Each site and waste storage facility has unique issues and problems and to fully understand mechanisms and processes that control a system, Okane works closely with clients and associates in developing the most cost-effective solution to these issues and problems using fundamental and defensible science and technology.
Okane’s multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers bring our experience working at sites around the world to develop and conduct field investigations:
- Site characterization
- Habitat surveys
- Environmental impact assessments
- Hydrogeological investigations
- Pumping trials
- Aquifer properties assessments
- Design and installation of monitoring systems
- Cover system field trials
- Ground gas monitoring
- Erosion assessments
- Landfill aftercare management
- Ground improvements
- Surface runoff monitoring
- Installing groundwater wells at North Coal
construction QA/QC
Construction quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program is a critical component of the success of any design to meet the specified criteria. Okane has experience in development and implementation these programs, from simple cover system test plots to complex full-scale facilities and associated landform design features in a wide variety of climates. Okane’s approach to development and implementation of the program is site-specific which will meet the clients needs. Okane has experience working with the client on a test-scale to determine appropriate construction methodology and quality assurance technique, as well as the frequency and/or spatial scale in which the latter should be employed. In this way, only the most practical quality assurance technique is used for full-scale construction to demonstrate that the final product meets design criteria. Okane has conducted QA/QC on a number of full-scale cover construction and landform projects that include testing of material physical properties, testing of placed material in situ properties, inspection of construction methods, and review of final product and facility as-builts, and provide communications to regulatory bodies and stakeholder groups.
Compaction QA/QC testing (Canadian Institute Mine Waste Mgmt 2005 Session 5)