Frost susceptibility of Nordic metal mine tailings

The mining industry produces significant amounts of waste materials, with the greatest volumes generated during enrichment. These materials or by-products, tailings, may be used as alternative civil engineering reducing need for natural resources. In cold climates, frost behaviour is one critical functional requirement in applications. tailings classified sand, silty sandy clayey silt (EN ISO), from four metal mines located northern Finland and Sweden, was evaluated this study using basic laboratory characterisation one-dimensional freezing tests. results were compared existing guidelines on estimating susceptibility soils. Based grain size distribution, samples characterised non-susceptible frost-susceptible. Capillary rise values indicated that ranged negligible to strong. heave test, measured after 96 h 0.1–23.1 mm calculated segregation potential (SP) 0–9.7 2 /Kh. low finest (L1−L3) majority amount frost-susceptible material. coarser (K1-K3 AK1) sand non-susceptible, <1.0 (after h). Thus, behaved like soils, indicating classification methods developed soils are valid evaluation mine tailings. However, influence added reagents should considered, standardised developed. • Mining can contribute material efficiency circular economy. Tailings' use climate requires testing. tested seem well suited materials. Standardised testing approach lacks. A framework suggested estimation.