Non-linear mechanical characteristics of tailings in large-scale high tailings dams

Trends in the stewardship of tailings dams

Tailings impoundments frequently represent the most significant environmental liability associated with mining projects, both during the operational and decommissioning phases of a project. A spate of recent and well-publicized incidents involving tailings impoundments has placed the mining industry in general, and those responsible for tailings impoundment design and safety in particular, unde...

Geo-Seismic Environmental Aspects Affecting Tailings Dams Failures

Seismic performance evaluations of tailings dams are essential for characterizing the geoenvironmental risks posed by these earthen structures, which should include the geotechnical hazards implied by slope instability failure, free board loss and the potential release of contaminants. The observed damage is more important when liquefaction occurs on the dam body and foundation, which often lea...

Identification of possible new failure mechanisms for the collapse of tailings dams

Superiority of Filtered Tailings Storage Facility to Conventional Tailings Impoundment in Southern Rainy Regions of China

In order to evaluate the superiority of a filtered tailings storage facility (FTSF) to conventional tailings impoundment in the southern rainy regions of China (SRRC), the tailings slurry leakage and pollution accident occurring at the wet tailings dam (WTD) of Yinshan were analyzed, the properties of the tailings were tested in a laboratory, and the possibility of tailings liquefaction was eva...

Floods from tailings dam failures.

This paper compiles the available information on historic tailings dam failures with the purpose to establish simple correlations between tailings ponds geometric parameters (e.g., dam height, tailings volume) and the hydraulic characteristics of floods resulting from released tailings. Following the collapse of a mining waste dam, only a part of tailings and polluted water stored at the dam is...