Landloch Capabilities

Landloch provides expertise in a range of capabilities. Download an overview of Landloch's capabilities here. Further information on specific capabilities can be downloaded below by clicking on the heading.

Material Characterisation and Management for Minesites

Waste materials excavated and placed in waste dumps show large variations in chemical and physical properties. Frequently, the materials are quite hostile to plant growth, and sometimes highly unstable. For those reasons, characterisation of materials prior to construction of a waste dump – and certainly prior to topsoiling and seeding is strongly recommended. Landloch provides interpretation of soil analysis data by experienced soil scientists, and advice on fertiliser requirements and formulations to optimise growth of a range of plant species. Equally, Landloch can advise on plant species that may be adapted to particular conditions or that may help to remediate a site.

NEW!! Characterising and Managing Mining Overburden Using Geological Data

Landloch staff have backgrounds in geology, soil science, and engineering, and have extensive experience with operating minesites and proposed projects across Australia and overseas. An important feature of Landloch’s approach to overburden characterisation is the potential to combine information on geology, material properties and erosion risk, vegetation and climate, and landscape processes. This allows us to provide guidance on the construction and remediation of waste rock landforms that are fully consistent with site constraints and requirements. It also allows crucial landform design decisions (that ultimately determine whether a site can be relinquished) to be made from the outset of a mining proposal, giving investors greater certainty as to the environmental liability of the project being proposed.

Soil Characterisation and Management for Construction Sites

Landloch has extensive experience in soil characterisation and management issues found on construction sites. As a leading erosion control specialist, Landloch can advise on strategies to minimise erosion and sediment movement during both construction and subsequent site rehabilitation and maintenance.

Landloch has extensive experience in material characterisation, soil mapping, and can advise on fertiliser requirements and plant species suited to specific conditions.

Erodibility Measurement

There is an important distinction between measuring erosion and erodibility, and measurements of erodibility are essential for informed landform design. Landloch is the only organisation in Australia that routinely measures erodibility of soils and mine wastes.

Designing Stable Rehabilitated Landforms

To design stable constructed landforms, Landloch has developed expertise in laboratory and field methods for characterising infiltration and erosion characteristics of soil and spoil. Such data are used in a range of computer models to predict plant growth, runoff, soil water balances, and erosion for a range of slope profile options and spoil / topsoil types. Landform evolution simulations are used to consider longer-term issues.

Water Use Efficiency

Landloch can apply the latest technology and knowledge to assist minesites in improving their water use efficiency. Informed changes in water use practices across the entire water system, from water supply, to distribution systems, and to the management of the resource, can achieve significant improvements in efficiency and reductions in water requirements.

Soil and Land Survey

Soil survey is an important component of Landloch's material characterisation capabilities and form part of the requirements for mining and development proposals. Landloch's land assessment specialist has over 30 years experience in the classification, description, and mapping of soils and land capability across Australia.

Design and Implementation of Rehabilitation Monitoring

Landloch offers a range of methodologies for assessing success in rehabilitation of disturbed sites. Landloch tailors the monitoring program to individual sites, to ensure that the those factors influencing stability are monitored and that regulatory objectives are met. Landloch uses Ecosystem function analysis (EFA) to assess how well a rehabilitated ecosystem works as a biophysical system. For many constructed landforms, gullying is the dominant erosion process and Landloch’s Geomorphic Gully Assessment System (GGAS) was developed to assess gully activity and changes in activity through time. Digitial photogrammetry is used to quantify volume change of a surface due to erosion, or to measure gully volume. A range of geomorphic factors that increase the risk of future “failure” can also be monitored.

Monitoring Erosion Rates and Trends

Erosion monitoring encompasses the mmonitoring of both actual erosion rates and trends in erosion. Landloch can apply a range of techniques to assist sites in monitoring erosion rates or trends to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements.

Rainfall Simulation

Landloch regularly uses its rainfall simulators (based in Western Australia and Queensland) for field and laboratory characterisation of infiltration and erosion characteristics of a range of materials. Landloch's rainfall simulators are highly mobile and have been used in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Teritory, Africa and in the Pacific. They have been used to study a range of land management practices, including impacts of tillage management on compaction and infiltration in agricultural areas, testing the effectiveness of a range of hydromulch materials, and assessing potential for generation of polluted seepage and runoff flows from factory areas. Landloch can also provide research groups or organizations with access to rainfall simulator equipment and expertise in its use at a relatively small cost.

Managing Land and Water Interactions

Land management is important not only for achievement of maximum personal or community benefit, but also for its potential impacts on adjoining areas and water resources. The range and complexity of land management issues encountered by Landloch is enormous, giving considerable scope for application of basic expertise in soil science, agronomy, and agriculture, allied with the inputs from a wide range of expert collaborators. For projects involving on-land effluent disposal, Landloch commonly uses the MEDLI model, currently considered the industry standard for planning effluent disposal in Queensland.

Vetiver Grass

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanoides L.) is a perennial, tropical/sub tropical grass that has been used extensively world wide for soil erosion, sediment control and steep slope stabilisation. Vetiver is now accepted as an important tool for stabilisation of steep slopes and batters in road and railway infrastructure by Queensland Government Departments of Main Roads, Natural Resources and Water and by commercial engineering consultants. Landloch has expertise in the provision, planting and management of vetiver grass, and can ensure that vetiver plantings are successful and effective.