Geotechnical Properties of Mine Tailings

Abstract

The engineering properties of tailings are important for the safety evaluation and engineering design of tailing dams. In the present study, laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the geotechnical properties of four different tailings, including two iron tailings (coarse and fine) and two copper tailings (coarse and fine). Compared to the copper tailings, the iron tailings showed higher compressibility, lower permeability, lower strength, and lower cyclic resistance. With the decrease in void ratio, the coefficient of consolidation almost kept constant for the fine iron tailings, whereas for the fine copper tailings, the coefficient of consolidation gradually increased. Under cyclic loading, the accumulation of pore water pressure was faster in the fine tailings than that in the coarse tailings. The cyclic resistance ratios (CRR) of the four tailings were found to be comparable with previous report data on other metal tailings, and the consolidation stress showed little impact on CRR. The laboratory tests provided useful information to understand the geotechnical behaviors of mine tailings including seepage, deformation, strength, as well as seismic responses.