Resilience of Ice-Rich Permafrost Beneath Mine Waste Facilities

Permafrost is not static—it thaws, shifts, and deforms. For mine waste facilities in northern and alpine settings, managing these processes is critical for long-term resilience.

Examples will focus on earth dams and waste rock facilities constructed in or on continuous, discontinuous, and high-alpine permafrost. John will share the challenges of designing for ice-rich ground conditions, some of the constraints and risks encountered, and examples of thermal and deformation responses that shaped engineering, construction and operation decisions.