Innovative Solutions for Complex Challenges
In 2024, we proudly celebrate ten years since officially establishing the in-house Slurry and Mechanical Engineering Group at ATC Williams. Over the past decade, we’ve grown into a dynamic and steadily expanding team, delivering specialised expertise across several areas.
Eighty Projects and Counting
With the trust and support of our clients, we’ve completed over 80 projects at various design stages, including specialised material characterisation testing, tailings transport and distribution system, tailings dewatering, tailings flocculation and process and decant water handling.
We offer a comprehensive range of engineering services, from scoping studies to execution stages and beyond.
Our 10 Specialised Areas of Expertise
1. Troubleshooting and Optimisation
Many tailings transport and water handling systems operate inefficiently, leading to high maintenance costs. Common issues are pumps running off-curve, excessive cavitation, shortened life of wetted pump parts, and incorrect transport velocities resulting in pipeline blockage.
We undertake in-depth hydraulic assessments of existing systems to enhance maintainability and reduce total owner costs, ensuring your operations run smoothly and efficiently.
2. Tailings Dewatering, Transport and Distribution
We specialise in designing and optimising tailings handling systems for non-thickened and thickened tailings, from dewatering and transportation to distribution (linear and radial systems). We strive to achieve the most cost-effective and practical solution for your project.
3. In-Pit Disposal
Specialising in tailings beach slope prediction and tailings distribution rings and spigot manifold design, we develop tailored tailings deposition strategies to achieve flatter tailings beach and higher in-situ density. This approach enhances pit storage capacity while optimising decant water bleed and dewatering systems for greater efficiency.
4. Decant and Seepage Water Collection
We provide a complete mechanical design service for accurate sizing of decant and seepage water collection systems. Our designs are based on specialised decant bleed and seepage rate predictions informed by our in-house laboratory tailings testing capabilities. Depending on TSF geometry, collection systems can be gravity or pressurised arrangements.
5. Tailings Pipehead Flocculation
With our in-house testing facility and collaboration with reputable flocculant suppliers, we undertake performance assessments of the proposed flocculant, paying attention to shearing characterisation, optimum dosage, and dilution rate. We work to either increase the deposited material strength to achieve a steeper beach slope to promote dewatering of deposited tailings and earthwork workability or to improve the tailings bleed water quality using pipe head flocculation.
6. Construction and Commissioning Support
We provide expert oversight during construction, ensuring adherence to design specifications and industry best practices.
7. Post-Commissioning Support and Training
Our expert-led operational training courses cover the latest industry standards, operating best practices, and cutting-edge technologies, ensuring your workforce can achieve efficient and safe outcomes.
8. Specialised Laboratory Testing
The ATC Williams laboratory operates a specialised slurry testing facility with the following capabilities:
- NATA-accredited laboratory for materials characterisation
- Tailings and Slurry Characterisation and Rheological Testing
- Specialised Slurry Transport Pipeloop
- Specialised Slurry Inclined Pipe, Pipe Blockage and Restart Loop
- Tailings dewatering (with our partners)
9. Numerical and Computer Aided Analysis and Modelling
Numerical Modelling capabilities are skillfully applied to:
- Slurry and Water Pipeline Stress Analysis
- Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Pipelines Transient Analysis
- Process Components Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis
- 3D Design Modelling and Visualisation
10. Innovation and Non-Conventional Tailings Management
In recent years, conventional low-density tailings deposition and management systems have lost favour due to the increased risk of dam failures. On this basis, regulations have evolved to adopt new tailings management technologies that minimise the risk associated with conventional Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF). ATCW has remained at the forefront of these technologies, and as part of this journey:
- We work with research institutes and support PhD students in thickened and ultra-thickened tailings and slurries transport for sustainable hydro-transport solutions.
- We have become proficient with non-conventional tailings management flowsheet development.
Connect with our experts to explore how ATC Williams can enhance your Tailings Management and Slurry Handling Systems.
Sadegh Javadi
Slurry and Mechanical Engineering Lead / Principal / Process Engineer
Behnam Pirouz
Senior Principal / Civil/Hydraulic Engineer
Nalin Subasinghe
Senior Associate / Mechanical Engineer
Our Slurry and Mechanical Engineer Group are based in Melbourne office and can be contacted on 03 8587 0900.
