Geomechanics and Engineering

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Tailings fluidization under cyclic triaxial loading - a laboratory study

  • Do, Tan Manh (Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea university of technology) ;
  • Laue, Jan (Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea university of technology) ;
  • Mattson, Hans (Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea university of technology) ;
  • Jia, Qi (Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea university of technology)
  • Received : 2022.01.23
  • Accepted : 2022.04.26
  • Published : 2022.06.10
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Abstract

Tailings fluidization (i.e., tailings behave as being fluidized) under cyclic loading is one concern during the construction of tailings dams, especially in the shallow tailings layers. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the responses of tailings under cyclic loadings and the tailings potential for fluidization. A series of cyclic triaxial undrained and drained tests were performed on medium and dense tailings samples under various cyclic stress ratios (CSR). The results indicated that axial strain and excess pore water pressure accumulated over time due to cyclic loading. However, the accumulations were dependent on CSR values, densities, and drainage conditions. The fluidization potential analysis in this study was then evaluated based on the obtained cyclic axial strain and excess pore water pressure. As a result, tailings samples were stable (unfluidized) under small CSR values, and the critical CSR values, where the tailings fluidized, varied depending on the density of tailings samples. Tailings fluidization is triggered as cyclic stress ratios reach critical values. In this study, the critical CSR values were found to be 0.15 and 0.40 for medium and dense samples, respectively.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was funded by the Swedish transport administration (Trafikverket), the Swedish joint research program for road and railway geotechnology Branschsamverkan i grunden (BIG), Swedish Hydropower Centre (SVC), and Lulea University of Technology. The research presented in this paper was carried out as a part of the Swedish Hydropower Center (Svenskt Vattenkraftscentrum, SVC). SVC has been established by the Swedish Energy Agency, Energiforsk, and Svenska Kraftnat, together with Lulea University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Uppsala University, and Lund University. The participating companies and industry associations are: Andritz Hydro, Boliden, Fortum Sweden, Holmen Energi, Jamtkraft, Karlstads Energi, LKAB, Malarenergi, Norconsult, Rainpower, Skelleftea Kraft, Sollefteaforsens, Statkraft Sverige, Sweco Sverige, Tekniska verken i Linkoping, Uniper, Vattenfall R&D, Vattenfall Vattenkraft, Voith Hydro, WSP Sverige, Zink-gruvan, and A F Industry.

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