Table Mountain Inn
1310 Washington Ave,
Golden, CO 80401
Doors open at 5:30
Dinner starts at 6pm
Elliot Matthews, E.I.T., of BGC will present on “Engineering North of 60: A Geotechnical Endeavor in the Subartic” about his work at the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
Engineering North of 60: A Geotechnical endeavor in the subarctic
Since the late 19th century, geologists have theorized source deposits of diamonds in the great white north of Canada. These theories were born from discoveries of alluvial diamonds in the Great Lakes region which were left over from the last ice age. It was not until the early 1990s that these theories were proven correct with major discoveries of kimberlite pipes deep within the tundra of the Northwest Territories. The kimberlite pipes from these discoveries were characterized throughout the early 90s and were eventually developed into several world-class diamond mines near the turn of the millennia. One of the most productive of these mines is the Diavik mine of the Dominion Diamond and Rio Tinto companies. Fast-forward 15 years and the mine is still going strong with a 3rd kimberlite pipe being developed for mine production starting in 2018. This present mine expansion is known as the A21 construction project. Many challenges have been and continue to be encountered and overcome as the 3 year project comes to a close this year. Every stage was dominated by the logistical and technical hurdles inherent to a construction project in the subarctic. Lessons learned from the challenges can generate perspective and highlight the importance of quality geotechnical engineering in challenging environments.
Elliot Matthews- E.I.T.(BC), B.Sc. Geological Engineering (Colorado School of Mines class of 2012)
Description – Elliot Matthews has been a full-time engineer with BGC Engineering, USA since 2012. In his time with the company, he has worked on a diversity of projects within the construction, mining and midstream energy industries with emphasis on site investigation, mitigation design, and construction oversight.
Dinner cost is $50 per person, students are welcome at $20 per person. Credit card payments can be made online, and a small processing fee will be assessed in addition to the cost.
If you prefer to pay by check or cash at the venue, you must still complete the online registration and select the option to "generate an invoice". This will reserve your place at the meeting, with payment due upon arrival.
Registrations will be accepted through Tuesday, November 14th.