Dynamic Properties and Influence of Clay Mineralogy Types on the Cyclic Strength of Mine Tailings

Abstract

A series of stress-controlled and undrained cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on mine tailings to investigate their dynamic properties and the influence of clay mineral types on their cyclic strength. The tests were performed on specimens with a cyclic shear stress ratio ranging from 0.10 to 0.40 under the same confining pressure. It was observed that the axial strain, excess pore water pressure, and damping ratio increase with the number of loading cycles, whereas the effective stress and dynamic shear modulus decrease with increasing number of loading cycles. The effect of void ratio on shear modulus was significant in the small strain range, and thereafter, the effect was not significant among the tailings studied. It was also observed that the cyclic strength of the tailings varies with the type of dominant clay mineral present in them. Tailings containing montmorillonite showed higher resistance to cyclic loading than those containing kaolinite.