Improving Tailings Dam Safety via Soil Treatment

Yazeed A. Alsharedah (), M. Hesham El Naggar and Aly Ahmed
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Yazeed A. Alsharedah: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Qassim University, King Abelaziz Rd., Buraydah 52571, Saudi Arabia
M. Hesham El Naggar: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
Aly Ahmed: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: Mine tailings are the byproduct of mining activities, which need to be disposed of once the minerals in the ore are extracted. They can be disposed of in either dry or wet forms. The latter is most common, with the tailings being disposed of in the form of slurry inside retention structures. The retention structure may be a natural or manmade dam, with a predominant use of the upstream method due to its cost-effectiveness. This study analyzes the stability of an upstream tailings dam considering its staged construction. A two-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was developed using the program Plaxis 2-D to investigate the potential for stabilizing the tailings dam by using emulsified polymer and a mixture composed of cement kiln dust (CKD) and re-cycled gypsum (B). The numerical model demonstrated that utilizing a CKD: B mix increased the overall stability of the tailings impoundment above the conventional 1.5 safety factor requirements and indicated its usefulness in constructing robust dams whilst still being environmentally friendly.

Keywords: slope stability; upstream tailings dams; improved tailings; numerical modelling; recycled gypsum; OC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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