CONFERENCE CHAIR

Dr. G. Ward Wilson P. Eng., P.Geol., FCAE, FEIC

Professor (Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental)

NSERC/COSIA Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Geotechnique

University of Alberta

Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dr. G. Ward Wilson, Professor of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Engineering at the University of Alberta, brings more than 35 years of industrial experience to his practice in advanced mine waste management. Having extensive work experience as a consulting engineer, he has maintained an exceptionally strong industrial focus through his research programs both at the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia. Dr. Wilson is involved in mine waste management systems at numerous mine sites worldwide. He has also served as a specialist review consultant for many large international mining projects. Most recently Professor Wilson was a member of the “Expert Panel” that provided an assessment of the technical causes of the rupture of Dam I in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais.

Dr. Wilson was the lead author responsible for Chapter 6 on Prevention and Mitigation in the Global Acid Rock Drainage Guide prepared for the International Network for Acid Prevention.  He also worked with a team of writers commissioned by CSIRO to prepare the new manual for Large Open Pit Projects titled, “Geotechnical Guidelines for Mine Waste and Stockpile Designs”.

Professor Wilson recently implemented a new teaching initiative, “The Design and Assessment of Mine Waste Structures”, at the University of Alberta. In addition, Dr. Wilson is keenly interested in new technologies that improve the physical and chemical stability of tailings and waste rock systems.  These methods generally focus on the de-watering of tailings to produce thickened, paste and filtered tailings to eliminate the need for conventional tailings ponds and allow the construction of dry stacks that can be integrated with co-disposal schemes.  He is involved in several new and innovative research programs for the commingling (or blending) of tailings and waste rock to produce a new high strength sealing material that improves physical stability as well as chemical stability for the control ARD/ML in mine waste systems.     

Professor Wilson is currently the NSERC/COSIA Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Geotechnique at the University of Alberta