--- title: "Mine waste rock storage facilities design, construction and operation as engineered structures" date: 2018-11-02T14:36:00-04:00 author: jessica napert canonical_url: "https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/publications/mine-waste-rock-storage-facilities-design-construction-and-operation-as-engineered-structures" section: Publications --- 1. Waste rock storage facilities (WRSF) are massive structures that make part of mining environments, landscape, and layouts. Instabilities in these structures can impact nearby mining infrastructure, equipment and personnel as well as the surrounding environment including lakes, streams and rivers. Despite the significance of these structures it is common practise to treat them as dumps, with very little effort allocated to design, engineered construction, supervision and monitoring, stockpile deposition planning, site characterization or operations. It is only when we look at the long-term that the increased apparent costs of planning, design, construction and operation of a WRSF is put into perspective. It is therefore important that the current mindset regarding WRSFs evolves and becomes more holistic by considering not only short term needs but include proper fit to purpose engineering and construction of these structures. This paper provides an example of an optimized design along with consideration for constructability where existing stockpiles need to be brought to code for long term stability. Note that this white paper was the subject of a presentation at the Tailings and Mine Waste’18 Conference in Colorado State University. This content is for general information purposes only. All rights reserved ©BBA 1. ![Luciano Piciacchia](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/3206/Luciano-Piciacchia.webp) Luciano Piciacchia, P.Eng., Ph.D. Senior Consulting Expert, Earth and Infrastructure [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucianopiciacchia/) 2. ![José Antonio Vides](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/3209/Jose-Antonio-Vides.webp) José Antonio Vides, P.Eng., M.Eng. Senior Engineer, Earth and Infrastructure [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseantoniovides/) - [ 01 Oct 2026 Power and Renewables Reliable power starts with the right grid interconnection strategy - ![Jeremie Cote](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/206702/Jeremie-Cote.webp) - ![Alizera Khosroshahi](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/216932/Alizera-Khosroshahi.webp) ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/insights/reliable-power-starts-with-the-right-grid-interconnection-strategy "Reliable power starts with the right grid interconnection strategy") - [ 23 Sep 2026 Power and Renewables As Alberta's solar boom subsides, Ontario's next wave is just beginning - ![Pr employee men scott fleming retouch web SQ LR BBA](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/204270/pr_employee_men_scott-fleming_retouch_web_SQ_LR_BBA.webp) - ![Brenden Marchewka](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/203981/Brenden-Marchewka.webp) ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/insights/as-albertas-solar-boom-subsides-ontarios-next-wave-is-just-beginning "As Alberta's solar boom subsides, Ontario's next wave is just beginning") - [ 14 Sep 2026 Other Industries Climate resilience planning is essential for long-term project performance - ![Pr employee men vincent clement retouch web SQ LR BBA](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/204267/pr_employee_men_vincent-clement_retouch_web_SQ_LR_BBA.webp) - ![Kate Ross](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/216019/Kate-Ross.webp) ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/insights/climate-resilience-planning-is-essential-for-long-term-project-performance "Climate resilience planning is essential for long-term project performance") - [ 02 Sep 2026 Mining and Metals Why data quality is the real AI challenge in the mining industry - ![Marie Eve Desrochers](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/215810/Marie-Eve-Desrochers.webp) - ![Guillaume Boily](https://www.assets.bbaconsultants.com/bba-production-assets/production/images/avatars/_size_avatar/215807/Guillaume-Boily.webp) ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/insights/why-data-quality-is-the-real-ai-challenge-in-the-mining-industry "Why data quality is the real AI challenge in the mining industry") [ See all ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/insights "Go to Publications listing page") Let’s think it further together [ Contact us ](https://www.bbaconsultants.com/en-ca/contact) 1. Waste rock storage facilities (WRSF) are massive structures that make part of mining environments, landscape, and layouts. Instabilities in these structures can impact nearby mining infrastructure, equipment and personnel as well as the surrounding environment including lakes, streams and rivers. Despite the significance of these structures it is common practise to treat them as dumps, with very little effort allocated to design, engineered construction, supervision and monitoring, stockpile deposition planning, site characterization or operations. It is only when we look at the long-term that the increased apparent costs of planning, design, construction and operation of a WRSF is put into perspective. It is therefore important that the current mindset regarding WRSFs evolves and becomes more holistic by considering not only short term needs but include proper fit to purpose engineering and construction of these structures. This paper provides an example of an optimized design along with consideration for constructability where existing stockpiles need to be brought to code for long term stability. Note that this white paper was the subject of a presentation at the Tailings and Mine Waste’18 Conference in Colorado State University. This content is for general information purposes only. All rights reserved ©BBA