Numerical Analysis of Stability of Tailings Dam in Cold Region under Freeze-Thaw Cycle

Abstract

The reasonable design and treatment of tailings dams in cold region is an important embodiment of the implementation of China's strategy for sustainable development. The stability of tailings dams undergoing freeze-thaw(F-T) cycle is a key issue in minerals resource development in cold region. At present, the stability evaluation of tailings dam under an established state is mostly carried out to judge whether the dam is unstable or not, but the dynamic development law that can reasonably describe the stability of tailings dam has not been obtained. Based on FLAC3D, combined with the heat conduction theory considering the ice-water phase transition, the elastic-plastic constitutive model and the strength reduction method, a numerical analysis platform for the stability of tailings dams in cold region under the F-T cycle is established. The numerical simulation calculation under three operating conditions is carried out to obtain the variation rule of the thaw depth of the dam with time under different operating conditions and the SF of the dam under different F-T cycle. As the stress-strain state and safety factor of tailings materials are analyzed in real time, the development law and internal mechanism of the SF of tailings dam under the F-T cycle are identified.