Mark E. Smith
M.S.; P.E./G.E.
Chief Advisor – Geotechnical, Piteau Associates
Heap Leach Solutions Expert
45+ years of international consulting experience in geotechnical engineering and heap leaching, with extensive work spanning from Nevada to South America.
Biography
Mark E. Smith is a consulting geotechnical engineer specializing in heap leaching for over 45 years. While he began his career in Nevada, where he still resides, his work spans internationally, with extensive experience in South America.
Mark is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a registered civil engineer (USA and Canada), geotechnical engineer, and structural engineer.
Credentials
Education
University of Nevada, Reno
Graduate Degree
Experience
Mark E. Smith - Keynote Address
Mark E. Smith, M.S.; P.E./G.E.
Chief Advisor – Geotechnical, Piteau Associates
Lead editor of the upcoming "Guidelines for Heap and Dump Leach Design and Operations"
Keynote Presentation Highlights
The Large Open Pit Project sponsored a white paper on Stability Rating and Hazard Classification for Heap Leach Facilities. This paper became a chapter in the upcoming book Guidelines for Heap and Dump Leach Design & Operations and was released in advance of the book's publication.
This paper adapted Chapter 3 of Guidelines for Waste Dumps and Stockpile Design (written by Mark Hawley, Michael Shelbourn, Krishna P. Sinha) and included calibrations using existing heap leach facilities, including the two notable failures of 2024. Key adaptations accounted for lined systems, GCL behavior, ore properties (including chemical stability under leach), heap leach facility types, and other material differences from waste dumps.
The stability rating system incorporated approximately 23 factors to calculate both an Engineering Geology Index and a Design & Performance Index, which were then used to determine the Heap Stability Rating (scaled from 0 to 100) and the Instability Hazard Classification (ranging from very low to very high).
Since its first edition in 2017, Guidelines for Waste Dumps and Stockpile Design has been widely adopted across the industry, with the second edition set for release in 2026, around the same time as the heap leach guidelines.
An increasing number of consultants and owners were applying these guidelines to heap leach facilities, and the goal of this paper was to significantly enhance the stability rating and hazard classification system for heap and dump leaching. Mark presented insights from the groundbreaking "Guidelines for Heap and Dump Leach Design and Operations," including:
Stability Rating & Hazard Classification
A synopsis of the crucial Chapter 3 on stability rating and hazard classification
2026 Guidelines Preview
Sneak peek into the broader Guidelines, set for 2026 publication
Industry Lessons Learned
Lessons learned from recent industry incidents in Canada and Turkey
Panel Discussions
Expert panels addressing critical aspects of heap leach operations
Panel 1: Risk Reduction and Closure
Sustainable Operations and Responsible Mine Closure Planning
This panel addressed the full lifecycle approach to heap leach operations, emphasizing proactive risk management and closure planning from project inception through post-closure monitoring. Expert panelists explored:
Moderator
Jeff Parshley
Panelists
Dirk van Zyl, Denys Parra, Steve Boyce
Panel 2: Stacking and Leachate Application of Heaps with Permeability in Mind
Focused on the fundamental engineering principles that govern heap performance, this technical panel addressed permeability management as a critical success factor in heap leach design and operations. Leading practitioners shared insights on: