Influence of initial compaction and confining pressure on the hydraulic conductivity of compacted iron ore tailings

Abstract

The hydraulic conductivity of iron tailings is an important factor affecting the stability of tailings storage facilities. Stacking compacted filtered ore tailings is a promising alternative for safer tailings disposal. These tailings storage facilities’ internal drainage systems must be designed appropriately to avoid excessive seepage pressure, saturation, and slope failure. In this context, the factors that affect hydraulic conductivity must be adequately evaluated. Therefore, the hydraulic conductivity behavior of compacted iron ore tailings still needs to be investigated. In addition, the effect of high confining pressure on hydraulic conductivity needs to be evaluated. This study investigates the impact of the initial compaction and the confining pressure on hydraulic conductivity. For this, the flexible wall permeameter tests were carried out on filtered ore tailings compacted in three degrees of compaction: 77, 94, and 101% of optimum dry density as determined by the standard Proctor method. These specimens were saturated and then consolidated with different confining pressure. It is possible to affirm that the increased confining pressure decreases the hydraulic conductivity. The hydraulic conductivity decreases by less than one order of magnitude, regardless of the initial compaction. Moreover, the data suggest that hydraulic conductivity’s decay rate depends on initial compaction—the hydraulic conductivity of the loose specimen decays at a greater rate than that of the dense specimens. However, the reductions of the void ratio under the confining pressure of 1600 kPa and 2200 kPa were not enough to decrease the hydraulic conductivity. Thus, under high-stress confining, the hydraulic conductivity becomes practically constant.