ALEX DURAN

Principal Geotechnical Engineer at PSM, Alex Duran has over 30 years’ experience in his field. Alex’s primary areas of practice include open-pit geomechanics for large mining and civil projects. He has detailed knowledge of rock mass assessment and interpretation of laboratory testing.

In 1985, Alex completed his Masters in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Melbourne, and currently lectures postgraduate levels part-time at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Mining and Civil Engineering.

Alex enjoys a spectrum of projects from short-life operations to large-scale pits in complex risk settings. He has a particular skill in finding practical solutions to operational issues.

Alex has worked as a geotechnical engineer on approximately 200 major mining projects across Australia, Asia, and South America. These included several large and technically challenging projects such as Ernest Henry, Progera, Cerrejon and Clermont.

Alex maintains active authorship of technical papers covering a wide range of diverse topics including rock mass assessments, spoil pile stability, including undrained conditions and footwall stability in coal mines.

Alex specialises in geotechnical studies for open pit metalliferous and coal mines. His fields of special competence include:

• Engineering geology
• Hydrogeology
• Rock mass assessment
• Interpretation of laboratory testings
• Open-pit slope design.