Development of a model to predict consolidation of tailings

Abstract

Understanding tailing consolidation behaviour is critical for proper management of tailing impoundments. Extensive research has been conducted in order to resolve the economic and environmental considerations of tailing management facilities. Many researchers have developed numerical solutions which explain the difference between the behaviours of soft soils, such as tailings, and natural soils with respect to one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional and three-dimensional consolidation theories. In this study, a fully implicit model was developed by introducing a new compressibility equation to predict the long-term 1D consolidation behaviour of tailings. This study also presents the numerical development of the model and subsequent validation by comparing the model’s predictions to previously published field and laboratory test data. Finally, a case study was carried out for tailings from two different tailing impoundments to predict the consolidation behaviour. The case study consisted of statistical analysis followed by numerical modelling. The statistical analysis indicated that the newly developed model has a better goodness of fit with the initial studies’ results compared with other widely used functions. The model was then used to generate settlement, void ratio, excess pore pressure and effective stress profiles.