Shear Strength of Homestake Slimes Tailings

Tailings are waste products from mining and mineral extraction. This paper presents data on the shear strength of silt size tailings (slimes) from a gold mine in South Dakota. Test results are provided from 22 direct shear tests. Slimes from this mine have a relatively high shear strength which increases with increasing density. This high strength is attributed to particle interlock and to attractive electrical forces between layer lattice. As saturation increases, the slimes exhibit a decrease in shear strength which is attributed to hydration of ions on the surfaces of layer lattice mineral particles and the resulting reduction in attractive interparticle electrical force.