Seismic stability of coal tailings dams with spatially variable and liquefiable coal tailings using pore pressure plasticity models

Failure of tailings dams can result in significant spill, loss human lives, and damages to the environment infrastructure. Cyclic loadings such as earthquakes blasting are among main threats stability dams. Seismic analyses further challenged by uncertainty variability properties. In this paper, influence input motion characteristics spatial coal (CT) properties on seismic a typical upstream-construction CT dam is investigated. Among characteristics, peak ground acceleration (PGA), equivalent number cycles (ENC), frequency content focus study. First, applicability two advanced constitutive plasticity models, PM4Sand PM4Silt, simulating cyclic behavior evaluated suitable model selected. The undrained shear strength modeled spatially correlated Gaussian random field. Six motions — one blast five selected for dynamic analyses. conducted co-seismic then post-seismic stages. with uniform (i.e. models) compared stochastic models under motions. Post-seismic analysis was found critical models. This study highlights importance modeling consideration