14-15 October 2026
12 – 13 October 2026

2026

Fairmont Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

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Workshop Registration

Register for Plaxis Workshop Workshop Fee: $65

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PLAXIS 3D for Pile and Piled-Raft Foundations: Calibration, Soil-Structure Interaction, and Eurocode Compliance

08:30 – 09:00

Welcome

09:00 – 09:30

Introduction from Dr Marwan Alzaylaie

09:30 – 10 :30

Modelling Piles in PLAXIS 3D: Volume Piles vs. Embedded Beams

  • Pile modelling workflow
  • Volume pile approach
  • Embedded beam approach
  • Advantages and disadvantages

10:30 – 10:45

Break

10:45 – 12:15

Pile Calibration Strategy in PLAXIS 3D

  • Pile load test model set-up: Volume pile vs. embedded beam
  • Effect of soil stiffness
  • Considerations for installation effect

12:15 – 13:30

Break

13:30 – 16:00

Piled-Raft Interaction Modelling

  • Iterative process for interaction with structural packages
  • Application Example 1: Pile foundation – Equivalent pile stiffness assessment with PLAXIS 3D
  • Application Example 2: Piled-raft foundation – PLAXIS 3D analysis of a raft on a Load Transfer Platform (LTP) and rigid inclusions

16:00 – 16:15

Break

16:15 – 17:00

Eurocode and Regulations

17:00

Closure

Workshop Speakers

Dr. Sebastien Burlon

Geotechnical Manager Cerema

Dr. Richard Witasse

Principal Application Engineer
Seequent

Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering, Dubai Development Authority

Register for Plaxis Workshop: Workshop Fee: $65

De-Risking the Mine: Modern Geotechnical Workflows for Open Pits and Tailings Storage Facilities

8:00 am – 8:30 am

Registration & Morning Coffee

Participant check-in, networking, and distribution of workshop materials.

8:30 am – 8:45 am

Welcome & Introduction

A brief overview of IGIC 2026 and the day's objectives, agenda, key theme, and introduction to the workshop speakers.

Speaker:

  • Dr. Marwan Al Zaylaie, Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering, Dubai Development Authority, United Arab Emirates

8:45 am – 9:00 am

Welcome & Workshop Introduction

Regulation of geotechnical works in mining industry and Mining in Saudi Arabia.

9:00 am – 9:30 am

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering in the Mining Industry

An overview of the critical role of geotechnical engineering in modern mining operations, with a special focus on the stability of open pits and the design and management of tailings storage facilities.

Speakers:

  • Adriaan Meintjes, Technical Director – Mining Services, WSP, United Arab Emirates
  • Alejo Sfriso, Group Chair, Corporate Consultant (Geotechnical Engineering), SRK Consulting, Argentina
  • Khaled Zahran, Technical Solutions Specialist - Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent, United Arab Emirates

9:30 am – 10:15 am

Seequent Software Showcase - Data Management & Geological Modelling

Introduction to managing and understanding subsurface data with OpenGround for comprehensive geotechnical data management and Leapfrog for dynamic 3D geological modelling.

Speaker:

  • Khaled Zahran, Technical Solutions Specialist - Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent, United Arab Emirates

10:15 am – 10:30 am

Networking Coffee Break

10:30 am – 12:30 am

Seequent Software Showcase - Collaboration (Central) & Geotechnical Stability Analysis (Slope/W & Seep/W)

Demonstration of the Central platform for model management and team collaboration. Followed by an introduction to the capabilities of GeoStudio for slope stability and seepage analysis and PLAXIS for finite element analysis.

Speaker:

  • Khaled Zahran, Technical Solutions Specialist - Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent, United Arab Emirates

12:30 pm – 01:30 pm

Networking Lunch

01:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Integrating Cloud, Geology and Simulation: A Modern Geotechnical Workflow for Mining

Modern geotechnical risk management in open pits and tailings storage facilities (TSFs) requires a seamless data flow. This workshop demonstrates a connected, cloud-based digital workflow using Seequent tools like OpenGround, Leapfrog, and PLAXIS to fast-track raw field data into advanced 3D geological models and numerical analysis

Speaker:

  • Adrienne Joaquim, Senior Rock Mechanics Engineer, SRK Consulting, United Kingdom
  • Max Brown, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, SRK Consulting, United Kingdom
  • Richard Martindale, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, SRK Consulting, United Kingdom

3:00 pm – 03:15 pm

Networking Lunch

03:15 pm – 04:30 pm

A FMEA risk assessment for a tailings storage facility (TSF) design located in the Middle East

During the life cycle of a tailings storage facility (TSF), several risk assessments are undertaken, triggered by time period since previous risk assessment, or specific site conditions encountered potentially affecting the design intent, some near mis-event, or when performance monitoring updates are required, or as part of independent technical review, or when certain project stage gates are triggered.  In this instance, the risks were assessed after the design was completed during construction, considering complex site conditions, where the external site conditions materially could affect the TSF behaviour and performance.

Speaker:

  • Adriaan Meintjes, Technical Director – Mining Services, WSP, United Arab Emirates

04:30 pm – 05:00 pm

Closing Panel Discussion: Advancing Geotechnical Engineering Practices in the Mining Industry

Q&A, Panel discussion, and a summary of the day’s key takeaways.

Moderator:

  • Khaled Zahran, Technical Solutions Specialist - Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent, United Arab Emirates
  • Adriaan Meintjes, Technical Director – Mining Services, WSP, United Arab Emirates
  • Alejo Sfriso, Group Chair, Corporate Consultant (Geotechnical Engineering), SRK Consulting, Argentina
  • Dr. Marwan Al Zaylaie, Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering, Dubai Development Authority, United Arab Emirates

Workshop Speakers

Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering, Dubai Development Authority

Adriaan Meintjes

Technical Director – Mining Services,
WSP

Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso

Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting

Khaled Zahran

Technical Solutions Specialist – Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent
United Arab Emirates

Max Brown

Principal Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting
United Kingdom

Richard Martindale

Principal Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting
United Kingdom

REGISTER FOR THE GEOTECHNICAL IN MINING WORKSHOP: $65

Register for Plaxis Workshop: Workshop Fee: $65








    Dr. Richard Witasse

    Principal Application Engineer, Seequent

    Richard Witasse is a principal geotechnical engineer and numerical modeling specialist with over 25 years of experience in finite element–based geotechnical analysis. He specializes in advanced 2D and 3D numerical modeling of complex geotechnical systems, including excavations, foundations, dams, and underground structures. In his role within a geotechnical software organization, he focuses on user enablement, advanced training, and the practical application of numerical methods to real-world engineering problems.

    Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

    Senior Manager- Geotechnical, Dubai Development Authority, U.A.E. 
    Conference Chair, IGIC 2026 Professor in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering

    Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marwan Alzaylaie is a professor, geotechnical engineering leader, and innovation specialist with more than 24 years of professional experience spanning advanced geotechnical engineering, smart construction technologies, digital innovation, and higher education. He currently serves as Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering at the Dubai Development Authority, where he oversees complex geotechnical activities and contributes to the development of technical regulations, engineering review frameworks, and digital initiatives supporting major urban developments in Dubai.

    Prof. Alzaylaie serves as Adjunct Faculty at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and Abu Dhabi University, Professor of Practice at ZIGURAT Global Institute of Technology in Barcelona and Visiting Professor at the University of Dubai. His academic and professional interests include soil–structure interaction, foundation engineering, digital geotechnics, smart construction, and the advancement of geotechnical engineering practice.

    He earned his Dr.-Ing. in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering from Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Sharjah. He has authored approximately 30 journal and conference publications and serves on the editorial boards of international and regional engineering journals.

    Internationally, Prof. Alzaylaie member within the ISSMGE Board-level leadership as Chair of the ISSMGE Board-Level Committee on Global Professional Advancement and International Engagement. He is also a founding member and Vice President of DFI Middle East and is actively involved in the ISSMGE UAE Member Society and the Society of Engineers–UAE.

    As Conference Chair of IGIC 2026, Prof. Alzaylaie is committed to strengthening collaboration among academia, industry, government, and international professional societies and advancing innovation, digital transformation, sustainability, and knowledge exchange in geotechnical engineering.

    Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso

    Geotechnical Engineer SRK Consulting

    Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso is a geotechnical engineer at SRK Consulting with more than three decades of professional experience. Dr. Sfriso is widely recognized for expertise in the design, analysis, and optimization of geotechnical projects, with a particular focus on advanced numerical methods and construction procedures. Professional experience spans projects in more than 25 countries and covers a broad range of soil and rock mechanics applications, including tunnels, embankments, dams, foundations, retaining structures, slopes, and mine waste facilities. Alongside professional practice, Dr. Sfriso has served at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) since 1989. Academic and professional outreach includes more than 100 courses and lectures delivered worldwide, as well as authorship of over 100 technical and scientific publications. Leadership in the discipline is underscored by service as Vice President for South America of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) from 2017 to 2022, and as President of the Argentinean Society for Geotechnical Engineering from 2011 to 2015.

    Richard Martindale
    CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM

    Principal Geotechnical Engineer, SRK Consulting

    Richard Martindale CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM is a Chartered Engineer Principal Consultant with SRK (UK). His background includes 22 years of experience in consulting, where he has gained extensive experience in; assessment and design of rock and soil slopes; numerical modelling; design and management of ground investigations; design and management of ground performance monitoring schemes; technical due diligence; and, audits of slopes and waste storage facilities for project evaluation, technical performance and regulatory compliance.  He is also experienced in providing Expert Witness services to Insurers and lawyers in relation to his areas of specialisation.  Richard has worked on base, precious-metal, coal and industrial mineral projects throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, South America and North America.