Reliability-based approach to the geotechnical design of tailings dams

Abstract

Mine tailings dams are geotechnical structures that are designed to provide adequate and safe storage of tailings materials both during and after the end of mine life. The design of such structures is thus of utmost importance not only to the success of the mining operation, but more importantly to the safety of the surrounding environment such as freshwater resources, wildlife and community developments. This paper presents a reliability-based approach for the geotechnical design of mine tailings dams through a real life case study of a water retention tailings dam. The stability analysis is conducted with a hydromechanical, elasto-plastic finite difference model. The reliability analysis is carried out for three stochastic parameters namely the cohesion and friction angle of the dam core material as well as its hydraulic conductivity. The results are presented in the form of probability distribution functions of the generated factor of safety. The generated reliability indices are compared to target reliability indices to help evaluate the geotechnical design of the dam.

Keywords:

• tailing dams
• stochastic
• Monte-Carlo
• probability
• stability
• reliability

Acknowledgement

This work was financially supported by the MEDA Fellowship Programme of the Faculty of Engineering at McGill University and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.