Publications

04 Mar 2025
Mining and Metals

Passive treatment of acid mine drainage water: a sustainable solution

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a persistent environmental challenge. It occurs when sulfide minerals, exposed to air and water during mining, break down and produce acidic, metal-laden water. This contaminated water harms ecosystems, pollutes water sources and in general creates challenges for mining operations. Traditional treatment methods (active treatment technologies) can address AMD but are often costly and energy-intensive. On the other hand, passive treatment systems rely on natural biological, chemical and physical processes to treat AMD. These systems provide a more environmentally sustainable and efficient solution under the right conditions. This article explores passive treatment systems, including their types and longevity, highlighting their potential as a long-term environmental remediation approach.
14 Feb 2022
Power and Renewables

Pile design and construction
- Masood Meidani, P.Eng., Ph.D.
  
  Senior Engineer, Civil
04 Feb 2022
Power and Renewables

Advances in the design of geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) retaining walls
- Cong Xu, Ph.D., EIT
  
  Geotechnical Engineer
31 Jan 2022
Power and Renewables

Digital power systems: an influencing tool in asset management
- Lyle Neumann, P.L. Eng., C.E.T., S.C.O.
  
  Department Manager, Industrial and Renewable Power
21 Jan 2022
Power and Renewables

Managing ICS cybersecurity incident response: going beyond containment, eradication and recovery
- Pierre Janse Van Rensburg, GCIH
  
  Senior Consulting Expert, ICS Cybersecurity
04 Jan 2022
Power and Renewables

Metal powder production: quality control is crucial

As stated in a previous blog article on HSE risks, the challenges of producing metal powder by atomization, evaporation, plasma atomization or hydrometallurgy are very complex, due in part to product quality requirements. The aerospace (AS9100) and medical equipment (ISO 13485) markets require consistent quality products that meet their specifications, that they be delivered within specific time frames and are fully traceable. So, it’s important to properly control the production line to identify risks that can affect product quality and availability.
Benoit Desjardins, P.Eng.

Senior Engineer, Operational Readiness and Commissioning
13 Dec 2021
Mining and Metals

Stress-strain analysis of tailings facilities subject to dynamic loads
07 Dec 2021
Mining and Metals

Challenges to open pit mining through historic underground workings
- John Henning, P.Eng., Ph.D.
  
  Principal Engineer, Mining and Geology
02 Dec 2021
Power and Renewables

Metal powder production: OHS risks first!
- Benoit Desjardins, P.Eng.
  
  Senior Engineer, Operational Readiness and Commissioning
30 Nov 2021
Power and Renewables

The importance of mechanical BoP systems
- Hugo Careau, P.Eng.
  
  Principal Engineer, Decarbonization
26 Nov 2021
Power and Renewables

Common pitfalls when mapping a process

Every problem in an organization can be found within an operational, support or management process. We often ask ourselves why the problem keeps occuring, and we try to solve it using the same level of thinking as when the problem originally appeared. If used properly, a simple tool named process mapping can help not only solve the problem but lead to lasting changes that reduce costs and increase profits.
23 Nov 2021
Other industries

IACS risk assessments are a must!
15 Nov 2021
Other industries

Migrating a distributed control system (DCS): upgrading computer-aided HMI
- Steve Berteau, P.Eng.
  
  Senior Engineer, Control Systems Programming
08 Nov 2021
Energy and Chemical Processes

From crude oil refineries to biorefineries – From existing to new business models using hybrid approaches
- Joe Nava, P.Eng.
  
  Global Director, Advanced Fuels and Chemicals
03 Nov 2021
Power and Renewables

Structural concrete condition assessment and repair methodologies
27 Oct 2021
Other industries

How an MES can bring instant value to your business

Deciding to implement a manufacturing execution system (MES) represents the start of a great journey towards continuous pursuit of operational excellence. Not accepting the status quo, in our opinion, is a step toward achieving that goal. To engage in this initiative, you’ll need to adapt some of your internal processes, but only to result in significant improvements in production efficiency.
25 Oct 2021
Power and Renewables

The importance of preliminary interconnection studies
20 Oct 2021
Mining and Metals

Designing structures to support suspended vibrating screens
30 Sept 2021
Other industries

What influences mine effluent toxicity?
21 Sept 2021
Other industries

How the Lean Six Sigma approach helps guide digital transformation
16 Sept 2021
Mining and Metals

9 questions to ensure the success of your artificial intelligence projects

Before starting an artificial intelligence (AI) project, you should ask yourself certain questions to ensure the project’s success. These questions focus on the data to be consumed, the machine learning models to be used, the validation of the results obtained and the team that will carry out the project.
16 Sept 2021
Other industries

Migrating a distributed control system (DCS): upgrading the operational infrastructure
- Diego Quintero, P.Eng.
  
  Senior Engineer, Operational Technology and Infrastructure
14 Sept 2021
Power and Renewables

Successfully manage your project using solid communication with stakeholders
- Marie Chiasson, P.Eng.
  
  Practice Leader, Engineering Management
14 Sept 2021
Power and Renewables

Do you have an incident response plan for your industrial control systems?
- Pierre Janse Van Rensburg, GCIH
  
  Senior Consulting Expert, ICS Cybersecurity
11 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Project compliance with environmental laws: Why is the initial approach important?
11 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Reuse, refurbish or replace? How to select the right option for your plant expansion

Thinking of increasing your plant’s capacity, modifying your flowsheet or upgrading your equipment? It may be tempting to raze your existing plant to the ground and start with a clean slate, especially if you’ve had a hard time operating or maintaining it. But before you bring in the bulldozers, take a moment to evaluate your assets’ condition and perform a gap analysis against your expansion requirements. Deciding which equipment is worth keeping or modifying is not always obvious. In these cases, a formal trade-off study can be helpful to refine and solidify thoughts and make an impartial decision. Trade-off studies typically involve identifying several potential solutions and methodically comparing them using pre-determined selection criteria. Here are four principles to keep in mind to ensure the best outcome for your trade-off study:
Catherine Pelletier, P.Eng.

Senior Engineer, Process Mining and Metals
10 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

How to avoid production losses in the event of voltage sags on a distribution system
05 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Industry 4.0: augment your reality, regardless the size of your plant!
- Alexis Lallemand Desmarais
  
  Programmer Analyst, Process Control and Operational Technology
05 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Industry 4.0: the design you expect, thanks to virtual reality
- Alexis Lallemand Desmarais
  
  Programmer Analyst, Process Control and Operational Technology
22 Jun 2021
Mining and Metals

Optimize alarm system performance
- Marc Tardif, Technologist
  
  Senior Advisor, Operations - Salt Lake City office
21 Jun 2021
Power and Renewables

Cloud computing for industrial performance

Information technology (IT) tools have greatly gained in maturity over the years, which has led to their use in industrial environments, particularly in the mining and energy sectors. These include Ethernet networks, virtualization and hyperconvergence infrastructure (HCI). Today, we’re seeing the same pattern with cloud computing, which offers significant advantages in terms of scalability, flexibility and robustness. Now mature, this technology can be used to meet many emerging needs and is particularly well suited to Industry 4.0.