Finalist

Intertechne Consultores S.A. is decommissioning an upstream-raised tailings dam in Congonhas, Minas Gerais to eliminate a critical environmental liability and meet Brazilian safety requirements. As designer of the decommissioning solution, the team had to interpret restricted-access subsurface conditions, highly complex tailings behavior, and data from more than 300 investigations across roughly 250,000 square meters.

Using Leapfrog and PLAXIS, Intertechne connected geological interpretation to geotechnical analysis, enabling continuously updated models, 2D and 3D performance evaluation, and more informed stabilization decisions. The workflow supports a BRL 5 billion program, reduces rework from disconnected models, and helps protect downstream communities by reducing environmental and safety risk.