Assessment of critical-state shear strength properties of copper tailings

• Main Authors: Uy, Erica Elice S., Adajar, Mary Ann Q.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Tailings (Metallurgy) > Philippines > Testing; Tailings embankments > Philippines; Waste products as building materials; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Civil Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/2445; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3444&context=faculty_research
• Institution: De La Salle University

Philippines, with a total of 7,107 islands, have one of the largest mineral resources in the world. The copper and gold deposits are considered to be among the largest in the world (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). Mining minerals generate waste material called mine tailings. Impoundment of mine tailings is normally done to store these waste materials. One of the most common types used in impounding tailings is raised embankments because of its low economic cost. This impoundment uses natural soil, tailings, and waste rocks as the construction material. There are cases that raise embankments experience stability failure which can affect the environment and well-being of the community where it is situated. It is the interest of this study to assess the possibility of using mine tailings, specifically copper tailings, as a construction material. Index properties were first established following ASTM standards. From this, it was established that the copper tailings has plasticity. Unconsolidated undrained, consolidated undrained and consolidated drained test were conducted to determine the critical shear strength of the copper tailing. The copper tailings were tested having two relative densities namely, 60% and 90%. The effective critical angle of friction was found to have a range of 21°-28°. Since critical-state parameters are considered in the study, Cam clay model can be implemented so that to its behavior and failure mechanism can be predicted. © Int. J. of GEOMATE.