Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Research
    Sustainability
    Product

    SRK Consulting paste article: sensor-based sorting and fill design notes for engineers

    May 1, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    SRK Consulting paste article: sensor-based sorting and fill design notes for engineers

    First reported on Australian Centre for Geomechanics – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Coupling sensor-based ore sorting with commingled tailings and mine rockfill is presented as a way to turn coarse, low-grade crushed waste into a geotechnically useful product rather than a pure disposal cost. X-ray transmissive (XRT) and other multi-sensor sorters can reject up to ~40% of plant feed as coarse waste, which, when mixed with dewatered, non-segregating tailings at 2–6:1 rock-to-tailings ratios, improves shear strength, reduces oxygen ingress, and uses waste-rock voids for tailings storage. Because typical plant feed does not generate enough coarse waste for these ratios, the authors point to sorting marginal or low-grade stockpiles to supply additional rock while scavenging residual high-grade material.

    Technical Brief

    • Commingling is defined as physically mixing waste rock with dewatered, non-segregating tailings in one footprint.
    • Non-segregating behaviour requires tailings dewatered so fines do not hydraulically separate from coarse fractions.
    • Typical commingling design targets 2–6 parts waste rock to 1 part dry tailings by weight.
    • Conveyor-based systems exploit kinetic and potential energy of transport to mix rock and tailings streams.
    • Highly saturated tailings within the rock matrix reduce oxygen permeability, improving waste rock geochemical stability.
    • Low-moisture, high-shear-strength waste rock skeleton improves overall shear strength and stability of tailings deposits.
    • Co-disposal is distinguished from commingling as mere co-placement of rock and tailings without controlled mixing.

    Our Take

    SRK Consulting also appears in our coverage as a resource estimator (e.g. the Fostung tungsten project) and as a digital tools vendor (HiveMap), so this paste and commingled-waste work reinforces its positioning across both front-end characterisation and back-end tailings solutions.

    The 2–6:1 waste-rock-to-tailings ratios and 40% waste fractions discussed here align with ore-sorting case studies in our database where operators aim to convert more waste into structural or backfill material, signalling that paste and filtered tailings design is increasingly being integrated with early-stage sorting strategies.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Fortescue Real Zero: 690 MW solar and 650 MWh BESS implications for mine power design

    Construction has commenced on Fortescue’s 690 MW Turner River solar farm in the Pilbara and a 650 MWh BYD-based BESS at Cloudbreak, the final major assets in its Real Zero decarbonisation plan for iron ore operations. The utility-scale PV and storage will feed Fortescue’s integrated Pilbara Energy Connect network, designed to displace large diesel and gas loads across multiple mines. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the build-out signals rapid scaling of high-penetration renewables and grid-forming storage in remote, weak-grid conditions.

    Meiteng’s full-size coal dry separation plant in Mongolia: design notes for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Meiteng’s full-size coal dry separation plant in Mongolia: design notes for mine engineers

    Meiteng Technology’s full-size intelligent coal dry separation plant in Mongolia has run stably since October 2025, using its proprietary DCP Full-Size Coal Dry Separation Dream Plant system under harsh continental climate conditions. The installation applies fully dry, sensor-based coal separation without process water, reducing reliance on traditional dense medium circuits and associated tailings dams. For mine operators in arid or freezing regions, the project signals growing viability of large-scale dry beneficiation where water supply, freezing pipelines and slurry management constrain conventional plants.

    Forrestania–Newington gold acquisition: district-scale planning notes for mine teams
    Mining
    about 22 hours ago

    Forrestania–Newington gold acquisition: district-scale planning notes for mine teams

    Forrestania Resources has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of Midas Minerals’ Newington gold project in Western Australia, securing a package of granted mining and exploration tenements in a historically high-yield gold district. The transaction consolidates Forrestania’s Western Australian gold footprint around Newington, giving it full control over both existing mining leases and surrounding exploration ground. For geologists and mine planners, the deal creates a larger, contiguous tenure position that can support district-scale resource definition and staged development drilling.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.