Staff

Alireza Agharazi — geomechanics, numerical modeling, geotechnical engineering. Mr Agharazi has more than 6 years of experience in geomechanical studies and designs related to dam and hydropower plant projects. His main areas of specialization are in-situ and laboratory geomechanical tests, numerical modeling, slope stability and rock foundation analysis. He has a Master's degree in Rock Mechanics, and is pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, in geotechnical engineering. The main focus of his Ph.D. thesis is the study of non-linear and stress-dependent deformational response of jointed rock masses, and the development of a constitutive model that captures such behavior. He also has experience in instrumentation and monitoring of the underground excavations and water-tightening and consolidation grouting of dam foundations.
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Patrick Andrieux — mine design, mining engineering, geomechanics, drilling and blasting. Dr. Andrieux is a mining engineer with over 20 years of experience in practical mining engineering at operating sites (both surface and underground), research and development, instrumentation, technical services and support, and consulting. His areas of specialization are mine design and sequencing, mine monitoring, geomechanics, practical ground control and ground support programs, drilling and blasting, and blast monitoring. He has been involved in over 300 projects at more than 110 mine sites world-wide, and has provided consulting services to nearly 60 mining companies. He is the author of over 50 published technical articles, over 30 major consulting reports, and hundreds of lesser technical reports. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Canada, as well as a Designated Consulting Engineer (Professional Engineers Ontario).
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Richard Brummer — rock Mechanics, risk assessment, mining engineering. Dr. Brummer has 30 years of experience in geomechanics consulting, practical mining applications, research and academia. His areas of specialization are all aspects of the behavior of highly stressed rock in deep mines or in extensively mined workings. He also has expertise in rockbursts, the design of microseismic and general instrumentation systems, the design of backfill and backfill systems, and particularly in the optimization of mining layouts to reduce risk and maximize value. He is the author of over 50 technical articles. Dr. Brummer is a Registered Professional Engineer in both Canada and South Africa, and is a Designated Consulting Engineer with Professional Engineers Ontario.
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Luigi Cotesta — geomechanics, geotechnical and mining engineering. Mr. Cotesta is a Civil Engineer with over 13 years of experience in the Geotechnical and Mining Engineering fields. His areas of specialization are scientific visualization applied to hazard assessment and data interpretation, n-dimensional visualization techniques (time-dependent processes), geosynthesis of site characterization and numerical simulation datasets for deep geologic repositories, 3D geological deposit modeling, stress control on permeability in fractured rock and the development of custom software tools. He currently is pursuing graduate studies in Mineral Resource Engineering at Laurentian University.
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John Fedorowich — structural geology, fault modeling, ore-deposit structural controls, geophysical methods for detecting structures. Dr. Fedorowich is a professional geologist with over 17 years of experience at operating sites (both on surface and underground). His areas of specialization are kinematic and dynamic analysis of structures and patterns in underground and open-pit mines, target generation, structure and ore resource 3D modeling, and geophysical and remote sensing methods as applied to detecting mineralization and structures. He has been involved in projects at more than 14 mine sites worldwide and in a wide array of exploration projects. Deposit experience includes Ni-Cu-PGE systems, Cu vein and stockwork systems, Shear zone hosted Au, Laterite-Ni, Cu Porphyry, VMS Cu-Zn-Au-Ag, and Unconformity U. Dr. Fedorowich is the author of over 13 published technical papers and 28 major technical reports. He is a Registered Professional Geologist in Ontario, Canada.
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Alex Hall — mining engineering, rock mechanics, geotechnical engineering. Mr. Hall has more than four years of experience working in the mining industry for Vale, PotashCorp and Mosaic Potash, where he worked at seven different mines in various positions. His main areas of specialization are ground control, numerical modeling and slope stability. He obtained an undergraduate degree in Mining Engineering from Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. Mr. Hall also has experience with mine planning, instrumentation installation, monitoring underground excavations and high-precision surveying for marine projects.
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Christopher O'Connor — mining engineering, numerical modeling, instrumentation. Mr. O'Connor has 6 years of consulting experience with a focus on numerical modeling of mining operations and backfill design. He has been in charge of several design projects related to mining at depth, large excavations at depth and the development of new mining properties, and he has obtained a Master's degree in Mineral Resource Engineering, with a thesis topic on fragmentation prediction. Mr. O'Connor is beginning studies for a Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C.; the focus of his research work is the development of predictive numerical modeling tools to allow for the prediction of surface subsidence in block caving mines.
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Binod Paudel — computational mechanics, numerical modeling, project management. Mr. Paudel is a Civil/Geomechanics Engineer with approximately 10 years of experience in engineering project management, including stints as an engineer with the United Nations in several conflict regions around the world. He has research experience in computational mechanics and finite element modeling. His research involved the modeling of structures using triangular elements to study the damage response of a Gurson material. Mr. Paudel also has experience in the development of database and utility routines used in engineering, modeling and other fields.
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Alexandr Turichshev — rock engineering. Mr. Turichshev is a geomechanics engineer specializing in rock engineering and numerical modeling. He has experience in design and optimization of relational databases, database application development and computer programming.
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