Company Profile

Who we are…

DumpSolver is a mining engineering consulting group that specialises in optimising, designing and sequencing open pit mining waste rock dumps. It has developed a suite of unique software programmes and methods to minimise the cost to construct stable mining waste landforms. The DumpSolver programmes have been developed since 2000 and applied to over 100 different waste dump projects worldwide. Every project has demonstrated a clear benefit including lower cost, improved environmental outcomes, reduced risk and improved equipment planning and utilisation. DumpSolver’s work does not result in unachievable, theoretical solutions. We are mining engineers who understand mining and develop optimal and practical solutions.

In addition to waste landforms, the company offers a premium open pit optimisation service using Gemcom’s Whittle™ pit optimisation software. We have had over 20 years of experience using Whittle™ on complex projects for clients around the world. Our knowledge, experience and capability are unsurpassed. Clients have used our services to assist with due-diligence on acquisitions, financial modelling, peer-review as well as studies right from scoping level through to definitive feasibility studies and beyond. We use the output from Whittle™ to generate practical and robust pit development plans and mining schedules and integrate this with the waste dump plan.

Landform Solutions

In 2006, Landform Solutions Limited was formed as a joint venture between DumpSolver and Outback Ecology Services. Both companies provide advice to mining companies in waste rock management. Outback Ecology is an environmental consultancy group that specialises in all aspects of mitigation of environmental impact of mining operations including soil and waste rock characterisation, rehabilitation and closure planning, monitoring and environmental permitting. Essentially, the two companies were tackling the same problem but from different directions.

Bringing the two groups together as Landform Solutions has integrated economics and environment for optimal landform construction and rehabilitation. Landform Solutions can show that sound engineering principals can be merged with environmental solutions to mitigate the environmental impact of a waste rock dump and reduce present operating costs and closeout costs by tens, or even hundreds, of millions of dollars. The company’s work has demonstrated that economic and environment benefits are not only non-exclusive, they can actually be mutually inclusive. In today’s competitive business world, the vast majority of mining companies have a well-intentioned desire to be good environmental citizens. Landform Solutions’ charter is to provide a one-stop-shop to help these mining companies achieve not just their environment goals but also to increase returns to their shareholders.

And size doesn’t matter……! DumpSolver has worked on waste dump projects ranging in size from 1 million to 6 billion cubic metres. Our services have helped many companies, such as Rio Tinto and BHP-Billiton to significantly improve their waste landform planning.

Many of the projects have contained deleterious waste that required encapsulation within the dump. Others required specific materials to be placed on the outer surface of the dump. DumpSolver can handle all of these requirements and produce the best possible design and sequence. Scheduling of complex waste dumping also provides a good understanding of where enhanced risk may lie within the dumping plan.

During the life of an open pit mine, the actual quantities and chemical or physical properties of waste will often vary from an initial mine plan. We recognise this and can monitor the waste landform development, carry out a reconciliation of waste volumes and types and review the waste dumping strategy, and then update it if appropriate. Our objective is to work with each mining company to ensure that the savings and environmental outcomes are achieved.