To calculate the stability of a tailings dam requires an accurate determination of the effective stresses within the dam. The first portion of the presentation discusses the complexities of analysis of seepage through a multi-layer dam.
For the dam analyzed, Geocomp had the benefit of multiple piezometers measurements to calibrate the model.
The second portion of the presentation demonstrates the application of the SHANSEP model to create an undrained strength profile of the tailings using effective stresses and undrained strength ratios measured in the laboratory.
Once the SHANSEP strengths are calculated, a C-Phi reduction is performed to calculate the undrained strength Factor of Safety of the dam. Using the methods presented, it is possible to evaluate the impacts on stability of changes in pore pressures within the dam.
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