Physical modeling of marginally stable tailings dams using centrifuge simulation techniques
Technical Report
·
OSTI ID:5141332
The stability of a marginally stable tailings dam is investigated using centrifuge simulations and flow and stability analyses. The centrifuge simulations are conducted on Sandia's large radius machine using tailings from a coal mine. Pore pressure measurements and photographic coverage of the phreatic surface permit the determination of the flow field developed in the dam. The simulations investigate the effects of packing density and particle size distribution on the stability of a dam. The results illustrate that an increase in packing density can increase the stability of the embankment and that the addition of slurried fines to the embankment affects stability by changing the properties of the tailings used to construct the dam and by limiting the discharge of water from the reservoir through the dam. For the tailings studied here, the increase in packing density and fines increases the stability of the dam by changing the material properties of the tailings. However, these changes also restrict the flow through the embankment and thereby reduce the stability of the dam by raising the level of both the reservoir and the phreatic surface. The addition of fines into the reservoir dramatically lowers the position of the phreatic surface by restricting the flow of water into the dam. The effect of this decreased flow is to increase the stability of the embankment, if over-topping of the dam does not occur. 14 references, 15 figures, 2 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 5141332
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-83-2227; ON: DE84008597
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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