Assessment of two cone penetration test based methods for evaluating the liquefaction potential of tailings dams.
Date
2013-06-12
Authors
Torres Cruz, Luis Alberto
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Abstract
The stability of tailings dams is of great importance to the mining industry. It is well
known that soil liquefaction is one of the mechanisms that can compromise the stability
of such structures. Given the difficulty of extracting undisturbed samples of any
cohesionless material, the use of in situ tests to assess liquefaction potential has been
intensely researched. The purpose of this work was to assess the applicability to tailings
dams of two CPT-based liquefaction assessment methodologies, namely, the Robertsonbased
and the Olson and Stark methodologies. Ten case histories were evaluated. When
considering triggering of liquefaction, the Robertson-based and Olson and Stark
methodologies correctly predicted the behaviour of four out of five and seven out of ten
case histories, respectively. When considering the onset of flow failure, the Olson and
Stark methodology correctly predicted the behaviour in four of seven case histories for
which a post-triggering analysis was made. The results are useful in understanding the
shortcomings of implementing these methodologies on TSFs and the limits of their
predictive power.
Description
Interim research report.
University of the Witwatersrand.
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
Keywords
Soil liquefaction potential, Tailings storage facilities, CPT interpretation, Case histories