Consolidation Study of an Active Tailings Pond

Two geotechnical site investigations using state-of-the-art equipment for insitu testing have been made of a single tailing pond. The two separate investigations were made at an interval of approximately three years between studies. Each investigation included such tests as piezocone, self-boring pressuremeter, field vane shear, and standard penetration tests. The purpose of these tests was to establish various strength and phreatic characteristics of the tails in the deposit for use as input design parameters in the proposed upstream embankment expansion. This data may also be used to show a time-based consolidation study of a fully-drained, active tailing deposit. As tests in the second site investigation were conducted in areas immediately adjacent to tests carried out during the initial site investigation, a close comparison of the field measured values could be made. Results of an analytical study of the consolidation behavior in an active tailing storage facility are presented in this paper