Practice Area // Earth Engineering

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Hi, I’m Dean Wall, Vice President, Engineering at Trace Associates Inc. (Trace). At Trace, our Earth Engineering practice complements our Environmental Science and Management Consulting practices, delivering integrated, end‑to‑end solutions for complex land, resource, social, and infrastructure challenges. By aligning our three practice areas we can deliver better projects for you and help you and your stakeholders have a great life along the way.

Our earth engineering team comprises civil, environmental, and geotechnical engineers who work closely with in-house geologists, scientists, and hydrogeologists to tackle the most complex earth and environmental engineering challenges across Canada.

Earth Engineering Services

We offer earth engineering services for the following types of structures:

  • Mine waste / tailings storage facilities
  • Industrial wastewater ponds
  • Landfills and waste containment facilities (municipal, industrial, hazardous waste)
  • Seepage / process water recovery systems


The services our Engineering team offers include:

  • Conceptual, pre-feasibility, feasibility, and detailed design engineering services at all project stages (from site selection to closure)
  • Speciality design services related to liners (geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners, compacted clay liners)
  • Design services include closure design, landfill design, and vapour mitigation design/implementation
  • Geotechnical assessments and soil characterization
  • Designated substance and hazardous materials surveys
  • Water balance and accretion studies
  • Stormwater management and sampling
  • Surface water sampling
  • Indoor air monitoring
  • Regulatory support services
  • Specification preparation and tender support services
  • Contract administration services
  • Construction support, quality assurance, and construction record documentation services

what our clients are saying

“We like Trace. We like Ron, we like Nick, and we like the relationships we’ve built on our projects with them. They have a suite of services that cover the ecological and environmental, and they have demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done, aren’t doing unnecessary work, and they make sure it gets done. Ron told me that the Trace motto is to 'consult better.' This motto is reflected in the service they provide.”

Clark | Qualico Communities

“I appreciate Trace’s candidness, honesty, and straightforwardness. The communication is strong, they are always professional, and they stay on point. They’re good at what they do and are always available when I need them.”

Confidential Client

“Trace provides a level of personal service that we don’t get from other companies. We get straightforward, open communication with Project Managers, including frequent touch-points. Trace always does what they say they are going to do.”

Neil Reid | Midstream Energy Client

“I choose Trace because of their expertise and clarity on what they will deliver, and my trust in them. We share similar values of honesty and communication. They’re very thoughtful in what they do and their expertise is very appreciated. Nothing they do or say leaves you scratching your head.”

Warn Franklin | works with Ron at Trace

“I value our relationship with Trace and can see it continuing into the future.  Having a third party come in to do environmental inspections is very helpful and gives added focus on areas that might otherwise be neglected due to the busy nature of the business. Trace's expertise in the Environmental Consultant field helps keep NorSask on a path of continuous improvement. We very much appreciate the proactive approach that Trace takes to meet our needs.”

Kelly | NorSask