×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

On tailings dams

On tailings dams

On tailings dams

(OP)
Can anyone guide me to any source giving some general statistical information concerning tailings dams systems. I want to get some sense (imagination) about average properties of these huge geo-systems concerning Geometry [ultimate height, type (upstream/downstream), slope of the embankment dykes dimensions of the starter dam], raising rate, and so on.
I will highly appreciate that
Thanks

RE: On tailings dams

Cansand,

General literature searching will turn up lots of stuff, but bear in mind these systems are dependent on ore (and gangue) type, process (grind, reagents, etc.), climate, site (foundation, basin/valley/canyon slopes, etc.), liner requirements, seismic regime, etc.

A recent and fairly comprehensive document from the USGS is at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-143/of03-143.pdf.  It's an on-line open file report.  Still, it's specific to copper.  Does have two good lists of references.

Here in the states, NIOSH and the handful of university mining departments have a lot of info and they can help direct you.

Philosophically, a lot of the designs stem from the leaky earthfill dam approaches of the Bureau of Reclamation and various Dam Safety agencies.  An upside is that in short order one hopefully has a relatively small open pool sitting atop/adjacent to a relatively large mass of earth.  In my own experience, heights and outslopes are functions initially of the orebody volume and site geometry, then confirmed as attributes of the seismic/hydrologic stability.  In the jurisdictions I've worked, they've all been subject to regulatory oversight.

Starter dams often are pretty conventional, with the complication of lining systems, cutoff walls, etc. which address the assorted water quality issues of ore and reagents.  Freeboard will be a consideration for the starter dam as well as throughout the active impoundment life.  Starter dam size may be a matter of prudence or may be forced by seasonal construction considerations and mill (startup) rate.  If pre-strip material is suitable for the starter dam, its availability might drive the structure size.  (That can cut down on the initial waste dump volume and timing, perhaps making permits easier)

Overall size is grossly dependent on the ore body magnitude, though site specifics will impact whether one or multiple impoundments are selected.  Raise rate is a stage-storage function driven by the mill rate.

There's a fair amount involved, hopefully this gets you further along your way.  A stat summary would be interesting to find, and you've sparked my interest in loooking also.  This stuff is pretty much off the top of my head, as I don't have time to look for a summary right now.

Please keep us posted if you do come across what you're after.

Ralph R. Sacrison
Sacrison Engineering
www.sacrison-engineering.com

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources