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Dr. GINO OMAR CALDERON VIZCARRA
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Professional Information
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PhD or Equivalent
- Doctor in Civil Engineering / Geotechnics - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro : 01/03/2010 - 30/11/2016
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Knight Piesold : ( 12/01/2026 - Present )
- Principal Engineer (Tailings/Geotechnical)
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Lead the geotechnical discipline for tailings storage facility (TSF) and mine waste projects across Australia and international operations, ensuring technical excellence, compliance with applicable standards, and alignment with client and governance expectations. Provide senior technical direction, independent design review, and geotechnical oversight across all project phases.
Key Responsibilities & Contributions
• Lead and review geotechnical designs for TSFs and mine waste facilities, ensuring compliance with industry standards, client requirements, and governance frameworks.
• Provide independent, risk‑based technical review of internal and external deliverables, supporting safe, defensible, and auditable engineering outcomes.
• Contribute senior geotechnical input to major international projects including Auld Creek Gold Project (New Zealand), Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia), Boto Gold Project (Senegal), and Koné Gold Project (Côte d’Ivoire), with a focus on tailings design, risk management, and governance.
• Support proposal development and technical strategy for new TSF projects across Australia, strengthening Knight Piésold’s market positioning and technical credibility.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to internal knowledge sharing, reinforcing best practice in tailings and mine waste engineering.
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Vale S.A. : ( 03/04/2020 - 06/01/2026 )
- Technical Manager
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Key Achievements & Responsibilities
Portfolio Leadership (US$1.7B Capital Portfolio)
• Led geotechnical engineering for the world’s tallest filtered tailings facility (330 Mm³, 230 m height, US$1.3B) supporting a 20 Mtpa operation.
• Delivered eight major tailings and mine waste projects from feasibility through construction and operational handover.
• Maintained 100% compliance with corporate engineering standards and Brazilian mining regulations.
Technical Oversight & Responsible Charge
• Directed 300+ geotechnical boreholes and 100+ advanced laboratory tests across 500 ha, ensuring data quality and technical reliability.
• Reviewed and certified 1,000+ technical documents (designs, specifications, reports) with zero non‑conformances.
• Oversaw consultant deliverables including stability analyses, deformation modelling and foundation design recommendations.
• Provided geotechnical oversight during construction, resolving field issues and ensuring full alignment with design intent.
Vendor & Contract Management
• Managed 10 international and local engineering firms (US$10M in studies), including Stantec (Canada), GCG (UK), and eight Brazilian consultants: Tractebel, BVP Engenharia, DF+ Engenharia, Walm, COBA, LPC Latina, HidroBR and ECM, ensuring quality, scope alignment and timely delivery.
• Developed scopes of work, evaluated technical and commercial proposals, and negotiated engineering requirements to support design and construction phases.
Governance, Compliance & Ethical Practice
• Ensured all projects adhered to Vale’s corporate safety, sustainability and governance frameworks.
• Upheld Brazilian mining regulations and internal risk‑management protocols across all facilities.
• Escalated non‑compliant practices and enforced corrective actions to maintain safety and engineering integrity.
Stakeholder Leadership & Technical Influence
• Served as primary interface between engineering firms, the Engineer of Record (EoR), third‑party review firm, Independent Technical Review Boards (ITRB), operations and construction teams.
• Facilitated alignment between design, operations and governance teams to resolve technical conflicts and support informed decision‑making.
Risk Management & Operational Safety
• Led geotechnical risk assessments and mitigation plans for 8+ tailings and mine waste facilities.
• Implemented monitoring, stability and deformation control measures that reduced operational risk and improved facility performance.
Team Leadership & Capability Development
• Coached and mentored 5+ engineers, contributing to two promotions to senior roles.
• Delivered 12+ technical workshops, training more than 100 engineers in tailings and geotechnical best practices.
Value Delivered
• Achieved US$28M in cost savings through design optimisation and improved engineering workflows.
• Delivered all 2020–2025 capital projects on time with zero regulatory non‑compliance incidents.
Project Portfolio
• Filtered Tailings Pile Tamanduá (330 Mm³) – CapEx ~US$1.3B
• Torto Dam (16 Mm³) – CapEx ~US$230M
• Estrada Oeste Mine Haul Road – CapEx ~US$180M
• Filtered Tailings Pile Trevo (2 Mm³)
• Mine Waste Dump Expansão (4.75 Mm³)
• Mine Waste Dump São João (7.5 Mm³)
• Open Pit CMD (7.5 Mm³)
• Open Pit Trevo (0.6 Mm³)
• Embankment Pátio Oficina Brucutu (0.5 Mm³)
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Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde (Freeport-McMoRan Subsidiary) : ( 18/10/2017 - 06/03/2020 )
- Geotechnical Engineer
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Heap Leach Geotechnical Performance Management
• Conducted routine geotechnical inspections of 377 Mm³ heap leach facilities (Pads 4A/4B), ensuring safe operational performance and early identification of geotechnical risks.
• Managed a network of 400+ piezometers with real‑time alert protocols to support proactive operational decision‑making.
Technical Leadership
• Site Investigation & Data Interpretation: Planned and supervised 80+ CPTu boreholes and 50+ piezometer installations; interpreted geotechnical data to optimise multiple in‑house engineering projects.
• Developed conceptual hydrogeological models for heap leach facilities, including phreatic surface mapping and seepage flow analysis.
• Stability Assurance & Construction Oversight: Performed stability analyses using Rocscience Slide and deformation modelling for operational risk assessments.
• Supervised construction of reinforcement buttresses (three zones, 120 m total length), ensuring compliance with design intent and safety requirements.
Project Management
• Managed a US$1M field investigation program (80+ CPTu boreholes), delivering on time and within budget.
• Administered engineering contracts for buttress design (US$300k), ensuring technical quality and contractual compliance.
• Developed scopes of work, evaluated vendor proposals and coordinated multidisciplinary inputs.
• Reviewed and approved 50+ technical documents (specifications, drawings, reports).
Multidisciplinary Coordination & Stewardship
• Chaired weekly Geotech–Operations–Hydro meetings to align geotechnical, operational and hydrological priorities for 300 Mm³ heap leach operations.
• Oversaw governance of EoR recommendations (Golder/WSP), tracking 40+ actions with 95% closure.
• Contributed to Freeport’s corporate heap leach best‑practice program, providing technical stewardship support to the El Abra operation (Chile) in collaboration with corporate management and Knight Piésold.
• Bridged gaps between EoR guidance and operational execution, ensuring consistent application of geotechnical controls.
• Ensured full compliance with the Operation, Monitoring and Surveillance (OMS) Manual for Heap Leach Facilities and with Freeport‑McMoRan’s corporate geotechnical guidance, integrating these requirements into daily decision‑making, reporting and operational practices.
• Translated EoR recommendations into actionable risk‑mitigation plans, strengthening operational safety and compliance.
Corporate Governance & Technical Reporting
• Delivered monthly technical briefings to corporate leadership and site executives, covering:
• Corporate‑mandated stability indices (FOS > 1.5)
• Piezometric compliance with corporate standards
• Geotechnical KPI dashboards
• Status of EoR recommendation implementation
| Language | Read Level | Written Level | Spoken Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | High | Medium | Medium |
| Portuguese | High | High | High |
| Spanish | High | High | High |
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Modeling Behaviour of Railway Ballast in Prismoidal Apparatus Using Discrete Element Method
Journal Article published 2016 in Procedia Engineering volume 143 on pages 1177 to 1184
Authors: Gino Calderón Vizcarra, Sanjay Nimbalkar, Michéle Casagrande
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.125 -
Applicability of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Ash on Base Layers of Pavements
Journal Article published 2014 Jun in Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering volume 26 issue 6 on page 06014005
Authors: Gino Omar Calderón Vizcarra, Michéle Dal Toé Casagrande, Laura Maria Goretti da Motta
http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(asce)mt.1943-5533.0000903 -
EFEITO DA GRANULOMETRIA NO COMPORTAMENTO MECÂNICO DE LASTRO FERROVIÁRIO
Dissertation published
Authors: GINO OMAR CALDERON VIZCARRA
http://dx.doi.org/10.17771/pucrio.acad.29913 -
APLICABILIDADE DE CINZAS DE RESÍDUO SÓLIDO URBANO PARA BASE DE PAVIMENTOS
Dissertation published
Authors: GINO OMAR CALDERON VIZCARRA
http://dx.doi.org/10.17771/pucrio.acad.16327
Contact Information
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Modeling Behaviour of Railway Ballast in Prismoidal Apparatus Using Discrete Element Method
Journal Article published 2016 in Procedia Engineering volume 143 on pages 1177 to 1184 Authors: Gino Calderón Vizcarra, Sanjay Nimbalkar, Michéle Casagrande http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.125 |
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Applicability of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Ash on Base Layers of Pavements
Journal Article published 2014 Jun in Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering volume 26 issue 6 on page 06014005 Authors: Gino Omar Calderón Vizcarra, Michéle Dal Toé Casagrande, Laura Maria Goretti da Motta http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(asce)mt.1943-5533.0000903 |
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EFEITO DA GRANULOMETRIA NO COMPORTAMENTO MECÂNICO DE LASTRO FERROVIÁRIO
Dissertation published Authors: GINO OMAR CALDERON VIZCARRA http://dx.doi.org/10.17771/pucrio.acad.29913 |
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APLICABILIDADE DE CINZAS DE RESÍDUO SÓLIDO URBANO PARA BASE DE PAVIMENTOS
Dissertation published Authors: GINO OMAR CALDERON VIZCARRA http://dx.doi.org/10.17771/pucrio.acad.16327 |
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