Mechanical Response of Mine Tailings under Constant Shear Drained Loading
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 10
Abstract
Several tailings dam failures have highlighted the potential for instability under prevailing drained conditions, which can be represented in the laboratory using constant shear drained (CSD) loading. In this study, the mechanical response of three mine tailings gradations (coarse, intermediate, and fine) from a tin ore tailings storage facility subjected to CSD loading were evaluated. The experimental results were interpreted using the critical state soil mechanics framework and different instability criteria. Salient findings include the following: (1) the onset of instability in initially loose specimens was dictated by a tradeoff of volumetric strain components (i.e., elastic and plastic), which in turn governed the evolution of the dilatancy and plastic modulus, key properties for modern constitutive models that were also investigated in this study; (2) dense-type instabilities may occur for initial states above the critical state line; this response was observed in the fine tailings due to their compressibility and initial state before CSD stress relief; (3) variable rate tests suggested that drained creep in the intermediate tailings made the second-order work instability criterion unattainable; variable rate effects were manifested in the postinstability responses of the intermediate and fine tailings but not in those of the coarse tailings; and (4) existing instability criteria perform similarly when applicable, but they also have limitations. In this context, a new criterion is proposed by modifying an existing criterion. This study advances the understanding of the mechanical response of mine tailings, under nonstandard stress paths.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes generated or used during this study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
This paper is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. CMMI 2013947. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors of the NSF. The Programa Nacional de Becas (PRONABEC) program of the Peruvian government provided additional financial support. The authors also thank Mr. Srinivas Vivek Bokkisa for the valuable discussions on instability types under constant shear drained loading. Mr. Shaivan Shivaprakash and Dr. Susan Burns conducted X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), which is supported by the NSF (Grant No. ECCS-2025462). The authors also thank Knight Piésold Peru for facilitating access to the tailings samples used in this study. Lastly, the authors thank the six reviewers and two editors who provided constructive criticisms and contributed to enhancing the manuscript during the PEER review process.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 10 • October 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: May 15, 2023
Accepted: Feb 29, 2024
Published online: Jul 17, 2024
Published in print: Oct 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 17, 2024
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