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By J Addai-Mensah, W Skinner, C Kelsey, J R. Kelly, E Baawuah

Comminution continues to be the most capital-intensive unit operation in mineral processing. The fundamental purpose of comminution is to liberate the valuable minerals so that they can be economically concentrated into saleable products. Declining ore quality characterised by lower grade and increased complexity requires significant energy consumption for comminution. Low-grade magnetite ores are typically fine-grained and require fine to ultra-fine grinding (P80 ~ 30 - 40 µm) to enhance its liberation from the typically siliceous gangue matrix. Historically, this has been achieved using multi-stage crushing and grinding technologies, which require high energy consumption with low energy efficiency. This motivated innovations in energy efficient technologies for comminution. Such technology has been developed in the IMPTEC super-fine crusher. It is an innovative, dry (with the potential to be operated wet), media-free, energy efficient crusher that can to reduce 10 mm feed particles to 19 – 30 µm with very low recycle loads. In this study, the mineralogical and physicochemical characteristics of crushed magnetite ore using the IMPTEC super-fine crusher have been investigated in comparison with those of rod milling. The super-fine crusher generated higher liberated magnetite minerals in the – 300 + 212 µm and < 45 µm size fractions compared to rod mill. Both comminution devices generated large low-grade hematite and goethite middlings. However, the rod mill produced higher locked/unliberated hematite and goethite compared to that of the super-fine crusher. Quartz mineral had the highest liberation irrespective of the comminution device used. The super-fine crusher generated higher entrapment of other minerals within the silica matrix compared to the rod mill. The breakage mechanism of the super-fine crusher which is predominantly through high compression with shear, generated improved mineral liberation in the coarse size fractions compared to the predominant abrasion and attrition breakage mechanisms of rod milling. The higher mineral liberation generated by the rod mill is potentially due to the prolonged batch milling of the ore compared to the single-pass open circuit of the super-fine crusher.CITATION:Baawuah, E, Kelsey, C, Kelly, J R, Addai-Mensah, J and Skinner, W, 2018. Mineral liberation studies of IMPTEC super-fine crusher – 130 crushed product, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 313–326 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

This paper presents an overview of a program PC-BC developed for application to the design and evaluation of block cave operations. Conventional mine planning software tools are not well suited to the evaluation of this type of deposit. The paper looks at the modelling approach as applied to a block cave mining project. The following steps are described:Initial preparation of data including block models, draw point footprint geometry and draw cone geometry. Computation of individual draw point reserves. Procedure for modelling of vertical mixing of material within each draw point and subsequent determination of the best height of draw for each draw point based upon an economic cut-off value. Smoothing of draw heights amongst neighbouring draw points to produce a realistic draw envelope. Mineable reserves within the envelope are then computed. Tools for preparation and evaluation of various production schedules. This includes definition of draw rates, and rates for commissioning new draw points. In an operating mine, the capture and analysis of daily draw tonnages is important. How PC-BC accommodates this is described as well as the processes for depleting the draw column reserves. In the 12 years since the program was first developed, it has been used on a number of projects for feasibility studies and operating mines. Some practical examples of the use of the program in these projects are presented. Finally, some commentary on the sensitivity of various parameters is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the overall footprint design.

Jan 1, 2000

By D Symonds, S S. Kanchibotla, L Kennelly, G McNamara, J Gaunt, B Adiyansyah

Ban Houayxai is a gold-silver mine operated by Phu Bia Mining Limited in Laos since 2012. The first two years of operation processed predominately soft oxidised ore but subsequent years were expected to process more fresh hard ore. Fragmentation of the fresh primary ores was also expected to be much coarser than for the soft oxide ores. This coarser and harder ore is expected to significantly reduce mill throughput and mining productivity. The Ban Houayxai management realised the potential downside risk when processing fresh harder ores and implemented a blast optimisation project to deliver finer fresh ore to the mill without unduly increasing blast induced dilution and damage.JKTech and the Ban Houayxai drill and blast team began a joint blast optimisation project in April 2013 to achieve finer fragmentation from fresh ores. This was achieved by modifying the bench geometry, blast patterns and applying exceptionally high levels of quality control during implementation. Blast induced ore loss and dilution was controlled by adjusting the ore blocks for blast movement. Finer fragmentation from these modified designs improved mill throughput for the hard fresh ore by 46 per cent above design on average. These new practices have been embedded in site operating procedures and have provided a quick reference ‘cookbook’ document for the engineers.CITATION:Gaunt, J, Symonds, D, McNamara, G, Adiyansyah, B, Kennelly, L, Sellers, E J and Kanchibotla, S S, 2015. Optimisation of drill and blast for mill throughput improvement at Ban Houayxai Mine, in Proceedings 11th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting, pp 307–314 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 24, 2015

By T M. Brettell, D Sidea

The CSA Mine is located in Cobar, New South Wales and is operated by Glencore. Large scale underground production started from 1965, with zinc, lead, silver and copper extracted in the past. The current operations focus on copper, with a silver co-product.From 2014 to 2016, Cobar Management Pty Ltd (CMPL) undertook a major capital project to upgrade the primary ventilation system at the CSA Mine. This involved the development of ten raises using full-face raise boring from surface to a depth of 1450 m. The total length of the raises was approximately 2500 m. Geotechnical conditions were identified as a key project risk during the early planning stages of the project. Timely quantification of the geotechnical risks was required to minimise project delays and cost overruns. Geotechnical investigations were planned and conducted for each raise prior to pilot drilling and full-face back reaming.Nine of the ten raises had final wall camera and laser baseline surveys completed following full-face reaming. The surveys were conducted progressively, allowing ongoing back analysis and calibration of geotechnical evaluations as the project advanced.This paper presents the design and planning process of the raise bored excavations. It details the geotechnical investigation work undertaken to mitigate the geotechnical risks and the challenges and learnings from the project including the benefits of close collaboration between the parties involved.CITATION:Sidea, D and Brettell, T M, 2017. The CSA ventilation upgrade – geotechnical challenges and learnings, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 341–352 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 16, 2017

By Y K. Ji, B J. Chung

In recent years, the utilisation of ultra-fine ore in ironmaking has gradually increased due to the depletion of high-quality iron ore. The use of ultra-fine ore in the ironmaking process is typically energy intensive and leads to high CO2 emissions. The improvement of sinter reducibility is one of the methods used to reduce the environmental impact of using fine ore.In this study, a high-strength and high-reducibility sinter manufacturing process was investigated by controlling the sintering reaction. The key technology used in this method is the manufacture of mini-pellets by selective granulation equipment. The mini-pellets consist of iron ore, limestone and burnt lime and are designed to melt at temperatures below 1200°C. The molar ratio of CaO to Fe2O3 of the mini-pellets is 0.25~0.75. The 2~5 mm diameter mini-pellets are manufactured with burnt lime as the binding material.During the sintering of mini-pellets, goethite, which has relatively high reducibility, should be retained as residual ore in the sinter cake. The strength of the sinter cake was kept by the bonding reaction of the mini-pellets, which have a low melting temperature. This is the main principle of the reaction-controlled sintering method.The reaction-controlled sintering method manufactures a high-strength and high-reducibility sinter cake and increases sinter productivity by around 15 per cent using ultra-fine iron ore.CITATION:Chung, B J and Ji, Y K, 2015. Production of high-quality sinter by controlling the sintering reaction, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2015, pp 21–28 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 13, 2015

By T M. Campos, J Silva, L M. Tavares, J Lichter, L P. Alves, B K. N Rocha, H D. G Turrer

The depletion of the richest ore deposits and the increase in number of mining projects involving deposits with complex mineralogy, higher competence and lower grade has led to an eminent need for improving understanding on multicomponent behaviour in mineral processing. One particularly relevant case is the ball milling of itabirite iron ores fed to the processing plant of Minas-Rio operation in Brazil. Dealing with the two main mineralogical components of the ore, namely hematite and quartz, the operation faces some challenges to improve understanding on how the two components behave in the process. Mathematical models have showed potential to give support in this task, but its applications to describe this type of industrial-scale grinding is still missing. The present work demonstrates the application of a multi-component ball mill model to simulate a closed ball mill circuit with hydrocyclones using the commercial software Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES). Model was calibrated on the basis of bench-scale tests and industrial surveys. Multi-component simulation results are then compared to those considering a single component in the feed, demonstrating the value and great insights that can be achieved by using the former in optimising plant operation.

Aug 24, 2022

A new watersoluble binder for mineral ore pellets has been developed by the sulfonation of bituminous materials. A highly effective binder for iron ore pellet making is obtainable from bituminous materials produced in the hightemperature cracking of crude oils. This paper deals with production process and basic properties of this binder as well as new applications in the field of iron ore pelletizing.

Jan 1, 1974

By D Lozada, A Salazar

Geometallurgy is a tool that, for more than a century, has been present in the implicit operations of mineral beneficiation. There’s a need to understand the characteristics of the material to be processed. This has led metallurgists to ask geologists what type of rock and mineralogy is entering the Beneficiation Plant and vice versa. The geologist needs to understand the beneficiation process in order to be able to carry out the production programming. The paradigm is whether geometallurgy can be applied to small-scale mining or if it is only aimed at large companies that invest millions of dollars to conduct studies. With this work, we provide an example of how geometallurgy can help improve the processes of a small mining company located in Ecuador (South America). We performed characterizations of geological and mineralogical and metallurgical tests in universities and the National Research Institute of Geological Metallurgical Mining. The origin of the theme is based on the fact that gold has been detected in the final tailings. The flotation concentrates meet the standards in terms of the content of economically profitable metals, but this isn’t the case with regards to the percentage of arsenic, which has hindered sales. The hypothesis is: conducting technical and scientific research will optimize the metallurgical process for the recovery of gold and concentrates. The referential framework is the mining geology of the Bella Rica District, current status of the Beneficiation Plant. In the theoretical framework there are parameters of the veins, comminution operations, gravimetric concentration, flotation, and cyanidation. The methodological framework contemplates the characterization of the gold ore, the chemical, mineralogical, textural, metallurgical analysis and the interpretation of the results. Thus, the design of a geometallurgy model of the deposit, with its main characteristics, is a conclusion that serves as a basis for the proposal of the optimization of the metallurgical process.CITATION:Lozada, D and Salazar, A, 2018. Geometallurgy applied to small-scale mining: a case study, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 153–162 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

By Pollard DM, Willis GM

The removal of bismuth from liquid copper in a vacuum furnace was studied over a range of pressures. The rate determining step changes from diffusion in the gas at pressures above 0.2 Torr to approach the Langmuir evaporation rate at pressures of 10-2 Torr. Oxygen and sulphur were found to have a negligible effect on the rate. Bismuth removal from copper sulphide was found to be considerably slower than from copper. This is consistent with the known thermodynamic properties of ternary sulphide melts.

Jan 1, 1980

By V Lishchuk, C Lund

"Geometallurgy aims to improve resource efficiency by creating a spatial model of an orebody in order to forecast ore processing behaviour. This enables calculation of the economic value of each ore block and the use of this information for production optimisation and hence an improved economic return. Modelling uses different approaches to link geological information with mineral processing: traditional approach uses chemical elements; proxy approach – small-scale geometallurgical tests; and mineralogical approach – minerals.A geometallurgical model is obtained during execution of a geometallurgical program encompassing the entire value chain of ore processing. Available methods for establishing a geometallurgical model are in many cases limited and not yet comprehensively validated. Some of the limitations include: sampling density, assaying methods and quality, forecast accuracy block model content, geostatistical solutions for non-additive components, blending and assessment of positive impact of geometallurgy on the project. Synthetic ore models combined with process simulations and production scheduling, based on strong case studies, present a viable way to address these shortcomings. Such synthetic ore models will have realistic elemental and mineral distribution, textural attributes and 3D variability for input into the design of an appropriate geometallurgical program.A synthetic orebody was created for an apatite-bearing iron deposit. Variability in modal mineralogy was described by geostatistical parameters combined by a set of linear and trigonometric functions. The generated synthetic deposit model was used to develop a mine production plan to generate a simulated process feed. The process feed had detailed information required for beneficiation process simulation: modal mineralogy, chemical composition of minerals, grain size and specific gravity. The synthetic system was used to measure benefits that a geometallurgical program developed for real cases could provide, compared to production where only head grade is optimised. These include a reliable sampling strategy and confidence in the feed-quality forecast for economic evaluation.CITATION:Lishchuk, V, Lund, C and Lamberg, P, 2016. Development of a Synthetic Ore Deposit Model for Geometallurgy, in Proceedings The Third AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2016, pp 275–286 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Jun 15, 2016

By Moorrees C

Carbonic acid leaching of crude iron-containing magnesia derived from Savage River magnesite yields a magnesium bicarbonate leachate with a substantial soluble iron concentration. The iron concentration depends upon the leaching conditions (particularly time, temperature and pulp density) but is generally in the range 0.005-0.5 g/litre. If this soluble iron is not removed prior to the precipitation of the magnesium as a hydrated carbonate, then this product will be contaminated by the iron, and will not yield a final product (high-purity magnesia) that meets specifications.The soluble iron content of the magnesium bicarbonate leachate can be reduced to an acceptable level by addition of solid aluminium sulphate either during carbonic acid, leaching of the crude calcine or to the clarified leachate. Chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction revealed that the iron is precipitated as an iron-containing hydrotalcite-type compound, [Mg6(Al,Fe)2(OH)16]CO3.4H2O. The actual composition of the precipitate depends on the amount of aluminium sulphate added and the precipitation technique used. Because precipitation of iron in this manner also results in reduced magnesium recovery from the leachates, It WIll be necessary to develop methods for recovering the magnesium component of the precipitates.

Jan 1, 1984

By B Kilgariff

Flotation has been in use at Broken Hill for nearly 100 years, and the process has gone through many different optimisation studies over that time. This paper reviews the current flotation practice at the Perilya Broken Hill Mine, and details one of the recent optimisation studies conducted using mathematical modelling and simulation tools. The optimisation study consisted of surveys of the lead and zinc circuits, mapping of the floatability components of the ore and developing models of the lead and zinc circuits. The models were then used to conduct simulations to simplify the circuit. The study allowed plant personnel to identify optimum operating conditions for their current flotation cells, as well as possible improvements in circuit configuration and cell capacity.

Jan 1, 2005

By R Morrison, R Dunn

In many mineral processing operations, the reported production figures for an accounting period may not make the best use of available data. While most of the mathematical approaches, such as check-in/check-out, mass balancing, used in effective metallurgical accounting strategies are well understood, the sources and magnitude of measurement errors generally are not. As part of the æAMIRA P754-Metal Accounting and ReconciliationÆ project, a study was undertaken at the Northparkes copper/gold concentrator near Parkes, New South Wales to examine the data used in their concentrator metallurgical accounting system. This paper summarises the results of a detailed examination of the mass measurement systems around the concentrator as well as the primary sampling system used for grade estimation. The goal of this work was to develop practical techniques to quantify the error (ie both accuracy and precision) of the measured metal accounting information. With this information, statistical confidence levels for this data can then be calculated. If the errors are small, the effect of error in each piece of measured data can then be propagated to other calculated production figures such as recovery and feed grade using a statistical technique called æthe propagation of errorÆ.

Jan 1, 2007

By J Holdsworth, L Sutton, A Lavrinec, D Ilic

Air quality is a big topic of discussion in regional mining communities as well as urban environments situated close to port terminals handling bulk solids. Community perception of poor air quality can significantly affect the reputation of the mining operation and handling facilities. Dust monitoring for regulatory compliance relies on using a handful of accurate but very expensive sensors, usually situated at the boundary, relatively far from the activities that generate the airborne dust. These reference monitors measure dust leaving the site but dust mitigation and management on-site largely relies on operator judgement. At a fraction of the cost, small wireless solar powered units can be used to supplement reference monitors in real-time. Due to their compact nature, portability and low price, these units can be implemented on a mass scale to increase spatial resolution of dust measurements and, more importantly, in much closer proximity to both the dust generating activity and the sources of dust. This can provide valuable insights into the origins and timing of dust generation thus producing datadriven decision-making while minimising subjectivity. Similarly, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is another supplemental technology that can be used to increase the spatial resolution of dust measurements in near real-time, however, the cost of commercial systems even exceeds that of regulatory monitors. LiDAR also presents difficulties in quantifying dust plume concentrations. This study presents learnings of implementing both technologies for dust emissions management. Several low-cost sensor units and a fast-scanning custom-built 3D LiDAR system operating at a range of 1.5 km with a resolution of 1.5 m were deployed on a surface mine to monitor dust emissions from different activities. The project explores the use of real-time sensor data to quantify LiDAR measurements in parallel with integration into mine planning. The approach can assist in prioritising dust mitigation activities thereby reducing instances of emissions exceedance and minimising water use through databased and targeted application. Demonstrated is an opportunity for a step-change in industry best practice as well as commercialisation and operationalisation of the method across different industries, including future mineral extraction.

Sep 18, 2023

By L O. Filippov, A Piçarra, I V. Filippova, N P. Lima, K Silva

The reverse cationic flotation using the starch as depressor of iron oxides is the most efficient upgrading process when is applied to the simple systems composed by hematite/magnetite and quartz. The fundamental studies performed with iron ore samples from different deposits over the world (Brazil, Russia, Mexico) confirmed the inefficiency of starch when the silica content in the concentrate is controlled by Fe/Mg-bearing minerals. The main approaches for solving these issues focused on using new collector formulations or new depressants. However, the alternative depressants tested inhibited flotation of quartz or were less efficient as iron oxide depressant. In this work, a comparison between new amidoamine collector with conventionally used etheramine and oleate collectors in the flotation of pure minerals and actual iron ore samples was performed. The electrophoretic mobility, contact angle and infrared spectroscopy measurements allowed to deduce the hindrance effect as main mechanism of selective adsorption of the amidoamine on the quartz surface compared to hematite and kaolinite. Molecular modelling studies revealed that this steric hindrance effect can be explained by the combination of the "shield" formed by the coordinating water molecules on the (001)-D2 hematite surface and the large volume of the amidoamine head group. The amidoamine tested as collector without use of a depressant showed excellent flotation selectivity allowing the total flotation of quartz from a mixture with hematite. High collector performance and selectivity were confirmed during reverse flotation of quartz using continuous flotation column (D = 500 mm; H = 4000 mm) and allowed to produce the iron concentrates with more than 60 per cent of iron from the rejected slimes samples of Vargem Grande 2 processing plant (Iron Quadrangle, MG, Brazil). The new collector allowed to develop flexible flotation flow sheets to process the iron ore with a complex gangue mineralogy and unlock the old altered tailings and slimes product as new resources

Aug 24, 2022

By J D. Goldsworthy

The McPhee Creek bedded iron deposit is a recent discovery made by Giralia Resources NL (Giralia) in the northern Pilbara of Western Australia. The deposit lies 30 km north of the town of Nullagine along the southeastern margin of the East Pilbara Granite-Greenstone Terrane (EPGGT).The McPhee Creek area is located in the Kelly Greenstone Belt in the southeastern part of the EPGGT. The Archaean aged greenstone belt consists of volcanic and sedimentary sequences including the Warrawoona Group and the Gorge Creek Group. The McPhee Creek iron ore deposit lies within banded iron formation (BIF) rocks of the Gorge Creek Group. The structure of the McPhee Creek area is dominated by a northeast trending, upright synform (Sandy Creek Syncline) and associated folding that is truncated by northeast trending faults in the east. Iron ore mineralisation is predominantly stratabound and follows the dip of the bedding – however, in some areas, particularly in the southwest of the deposit, mapped steep to moderate dips of bedding planes are at odds with underlying fl at mineralised zones in drill sections. Zones within the deposit that contain substantial thickness of iron ore correspond to areas of complex folding suggesting structural control and iron enrichment in fold hinges. Petrographic analyses confirm mineralisation is goethite dominant and the deposit is strongly supergene enriched.Giralia initially identified iron ore potential in the McPhee Creek area through the presence of a small known channel iron deposit (CID) mesa. Giralia began exploration in 2008 by re-drilling a portion of the CID (subsequently named Crescent Moon) and reported a small low-grade Inferred Mineral Resource. Target generation in the wider area utilising Geological Society of Western Australia maps and Ikonos satellite images identifi ed strongly ferruginous outcrops associated with major structures along an 8 km long range located 2.5 km to the west north-west of the Crescent Moon CID deposit. In late July 2008, a total of 62 rock chip samples were collected during a helicopter supported sampling program conducted at McPhee Creek. Samples taken from haematite-goethite enriched BIF and canga zones outcropping intermittently over the 8 km length of the western and central areas of the prominent range assayed up to 63 per cent Fe. These zones represent the discovery outcrops and surface expression of the McPhee Creek main range iron ore deposit.Follow up sampling, geological mapping, bulldozing of access tracks and ramps and reverse circulation (RC) drilling commenced in September 2009. A maiden Inferred Mineral Resource was announced by Giralia to the Australasian Securities Exchange (ASX) on 15 December 2009.The current Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource at December 2010 stands at 260 Mt grading 56.2 per cent Fe, 0.12 per cent P, 6.7 per cent SiO2, 2.3 per cent Al2O3 and 9.5 per cent LOI at a 50 per cent Fe cut-off. McPhee Creek is one of the largest iron deposits found in Archaean BIF in the northern Pilbara.

Jul 11, 2011

By R Moreby

This paper is a demonstration of the techniques developed during an Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) funded research project aimed to develop aids, principally computer based, to assist mine personnel to more efficiently manage significant incidents in coal mines. These aids include software to aid in the location of the incident, electronic information storage and retrieval, online site emergency response manuals and software to aid in decision-making.

Jan 1, 2005

Safety remains a critical priority for the Australian mineral resource industry and will receive increased focus in the future. This is particularly evident in underground coal mines where reserves are becoming deeper and more hazardous to extract. The CSIRO, through its Exploration and Mining Division, have recently delivered on two projects aimed at providing step-change capabilities in real-time risk management and hazard control. This paper describes the key outcomes of these projects.

Jan 1, 2005

By M P. Sandy, V Louchnikov, V Eremenko, M Orunesu, O Watson

"Surface support is a key component of most ground support systems which are applied as a means of reducing the risk of rockfall occurrence and maintaining serviceability of mine development. Surface support has two primary functions: distributing the applied load throughout the system by providing connection between rock bolts retaining smaller rocks that unravel between rock bolts.Confinement is also provided to the rock mass, which may increase its capacity to resist further degradation or loosening.Surface support has been routinely installed in most underground mines around the world for many years, yet the operators are still not always certain which type is best suited for deformable ground conditions. A number of factors need to be taken into consideration prior to selecting the type of surface support liner, such as its capacity, availability, practicality of installation, manual handling and loading conditions (static or dynamic) to ensure the system’s optimal performance in terms of safety and costs.This paper presents an overview of the surface support types currently used in underground mines in Australia. Shotcrete, weld mesh, high-tensile chainlink mesh, reinforced weld mesh and high energy absorption (HEA) mesh are discussed. A detailed description of each system is provided in terms of capacity, energy absorption, installation cycle and costs. The cost of each system has been normalised to the units of energy absorbed. The information presented in this paper can be used by underground operators as a reference guide when deciding on suitable surface support type for deformable ground conditions.CITATION:Louchnikov, V, Sandy, M P, Watson, O, Orunesu, M and Eremenko, V, 2014. An overview of surface rock support for deformable ground conditions, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014, pp 57–66 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 24, 2014

By N Yarahmadi

Characterization of pore pressure is critical for appropriate design of tailings dams. Furthermore, if seepage rates through tailing embankments increase unexpectedly or become uncontrolled, undesirable conditions may prevail to progress piping or internal erosion that could lead to the dam’s instability or ultimate failure. A three-dimensional seepage analysis was performed on a tailings dam using finite element method to find the rate of seepage and pore water conditions in the embankment and foundation. The results were then compared to a conventional two-dimensional seepage analysis carried out on the typical cross section of the embankment and the field data acquired from the instrumentation system. Considering the monitoring data, comparison of seepage analyses results for the two and threedimensional models, showed that the results of the conventional two-dimensional seepage analysis are significantly underestimating reality. Relying on two-dimensional seepage analyses might result in underestimation of seepage rates and impact the safe operation of tailings dams. Similarly, unrealistic prediction of pore water pressure conditions, based on simplified seepage analyses, can lead to overestimation of the rate of strength gain of material and consequently safe embankment raising rates.

Jul 1, 2021