2019-06-14

Introduction
Background to ICOLD Tailings Committee
Last ICOLD Bulletin on Tailings Dam Safety (1989) & Improving Tailings Dam
Safety (2011)
Technical aspects of safe design
Governance principles affecting dam safety

Tailings Subcommittee – Tailings Technology Update

Ottawa Workshop – Bulletin Release
Bulletin Working Group:
H. McLeod (Canada), A. Bjelkevik (Sweden), T. Alexieva
(USA), D.Grant-Stuart (S.Africa), D. Brett (Australia), M.
Cambridge (UK), J. Pimenta de Avila (Brazil)

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Introduction & Agenda

• Purpose of the Bulletin

• Tailings Properties – Lab based
• Tailings Properties – Field
• Tailings Process Technologies
• Tailings Containment Technologies
• Summary

Purpose of the New Bulletin

• Update of Bulletin 106 (1996)

• Technologies have changed (engineering, environmental,
equipment)
• Regulations are changing (EU Extractive Waste Directive, Brasil)
• International practice is changing (ICMM and Investors Group
(Church of England and Swedish Pension Fund)
• The Bulletin is prepared for tailings dam designers
• The Bulletin is a technical document and does not address the
Governance aspects (which are very important)

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TAILINGS PROPERTIES –Tailings Types

• Tailings characteristics (types) dependent Tailings Type Symbol Description (compare) Example of mineral/ore

on ore mineralogy and processing Coarse tailings CT Silty SAND, non-plastic

Salt, mineral sands, coarse coal
rejects, iron ore sands

• % clay fraction is a dominant controlling

Copper, massive sulphide, nickel,
Hard Rock tailings HRT Sandy SILT, non to low plasticity
gold

factor in the geotechnical properties Sandy SILT, trace of clay, low

Porphyry copper with hydrothermal
Altered Rock tailings ART alteration, oxidized rock, bauxite.
plasticity, bentonitic clay content

• Specific gravity of tailings varies from 1.5

leaching processes

t/m3 (coal) to 3.5 t/m3 (sulphidic hard Iron ore fines, bauxite (red mud), fine
SILT, with trace to some clay, low to coal rejects, leaching processes,
rock); Fine tailings FT
moderate plasticity metamorphosed/weathered
polymetallic ores

• With segregation and variations in ore Silty CLAY, high plasticity, very low
Oil sands (fluid fine tailings),

mineralogy you may have several types Ultra Fine tailings UFT
density and hydraulic conductivity
phosphate fines; some kimberlite
and coal fines

of tailings in the TSF

TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Index Tests

• Atterberg limits can be used to classify type of tailings

• Liquid limit and Clay activity help identify F and UF tailings and problematic clays
 Phosphate fines
 Highly oxidized ore
 Oil sands fines
 Mine-water (acidic) sludges

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TAILINGS PROPERTIES -Gradation

• % clay is a dominant indicator
• % silt influenced by degree of grinding in the mill circuit – less
dominant than clay effects

TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Settling and Consolidation

• Laboratory jar settling tests

• Good indication of likely consolidation properties

• Indicates quantity of initial water release and initial water

recovery potential

• Large strain tests needed to quantify consolidation

characteristics up to 10 kPa

• Test segregated tailings to understand differences with the

TSF

• Consolidation test

• Determine time for consolidation and density of tailings

• Consider consolidation variability in TSF with segregation

and laminations

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TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Permeability

• Controlled by effective stress

and % silt and % clay
• Segregation results in significant
variations within the TSF. E.g.
HR tailings could have C tailings
near the spigot points and AR or
F tailings near the decant pond.
• Dominated in the tailings pile by
interlayering and kh/kv ratio –
typically 10:1 or higher

TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Permeability

• % fines (silt and clay) control permeability

• Cyclone sand permeability influenced by % clay

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TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Geochemistry

Static Testing Kinetic Testing

• Acid base accounting
• Shake flask (leach test)
• NAG test
• Mineralogy and carbon
speciation
• Humidity cell tests for industry comparison
• Field barrels to reflect actual site conditions
• ARD generally not a concern if kept saturated
• Testing to simulate field behaviour (e.g. slow
leaching, runoff, etc.)
• Accumulation of contaminant buildup over life
of mine. (E.g. sulphate)
• Field barrels to reflect actual site conditions

TAILINGS PROPERTIES – Field Based

Beach Slopes
• Dependent on % solids
(thickening) and % fines
• Local variation from spigot
point(s)
• Length of beach places
limitations on density of
discharge
• Below water slopes follow
sedimentation principles
(steep then flatten)

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TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES – Spigotting

• Deposited tailings settles, drains and
consolidates in thin layers on an exposed
beach
• Natural segregation of tailings particles that is
dependent on the distance from the point of
deposition
• Number, spacing and size of operational
spigots is controlled to ensure that the flow
velocity of the slurry on the beach is low
enough to allow the heavier (coarser) particles
to settle out close to the point of deposition,
while the finer particles are carried further out
onto the beach
• Suitable for upstream construction
• Good for dust control

TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES – Cycloning

• Developed in the mid – 1960’s

• Objective is to produce a construction
material for the dam a not use external borrow
materials (land disturbance), and reduce
storage requirements
• % clay and requirements for compaction -
control selection of cyclone system
• % sand recovery can vary depending on the
field requirements
• Cyclo-wash system may be required
• Single or double stage cyclone
• Can be used in conjunction with other
technologies, such as filtering

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TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES – Thickening

• Conventional: 50% solids by weight

• High rate and high efficiency thickeners up to 63%,
centrifugal pumping for Conventional TSF
• High compression feed filtration system for Filter TSF
• Deep cone thickeners feed paste plant for
underground backfill
• Practical limitations
 Require high level of operator technology
 Flocculants breakdown in transport
 Variations in ore mineralogy can “upset” system

TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES - Filtered

• Used since 1970’s

• Vacuum belt filters
• Compression filters achieve lower
moisture content
• Fine tailings are more difficult to filter
• Costs – Capital
• Costs – Operating
 Power
 Maintenance, repair & operator

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TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES – Processing

• Desulphurization to allow
separate storage of
sulphide tailings
• Cycloning to produce
separate products for
filtering
• CN destruction
Wheal Jane minewater treatment plant generating low
density sludges for deposition in the tailings dam
• Process research into
producing “benign” tailings

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT – Closure: An opportunity?

LADY OF THE NORTH, UK

Goals of Closure Design
• Create a new land – if possible – for a new
purpose useful for people.
“If the land becomes useful – then someone will
look after it.”
• Create a long term stable landform
ASKERSUND GOLF COURT, SWEDEN EDEN PROJECT, UK

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TAILINGS CONTAINMENT – Design for Closure

Landform Design
• Remove potential to pond (store) water to reduce
consequence of failure and long-term liabilities
• Covers to control erosion and simulate natural
environment
• Redundant spillways and erosion protection
• Saturation control and seepage control to mitigate
ARD/ML effects

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Centerline

• Dam safety is the same as a Downstream dam

• Conventional technology since mid – 1960s
• Core sometimes used for seepage control (environment)
• Materials can be cycloned sand, mine rock or borrow material
• What is “New”?
• Deletion of pervious zones upstream of core to reduce gradients
and piping risk
• Maximizing use of cyclone sand (both upstream and downstream of
core) to reduce piping risk

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TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Downstream

• Conventional water dam technology

• Can be constructed of cycloned sand, mine rock or
borrow material
• CFRD, asphalt faced, earth core

• What is “New” ?
• Keep core on upstream slope to reduce gradients
and risk of piping – do not have pervious zones
between the core and the tailings
• Recognition of tailings/geomembrane liner systems to
reduce risk of piping

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Upstream

• Containment structure is constructed over
drained and consolidated beach
• Suitable in regions with high evaporation and
low rainfall which promote consolidation of
deposited tailings
• Not suitable in regions of high seismic activity
• Not suitable for retention of large supernatant
pond
• Cost effective
• Facilitates concurrent rehabilitation
• Can be constructed by paddocking, cycloning
or spigotting
• “Engineered” upstream – compaction and
drains used to ensure stability
Compacted (by dozers) upstream tailings dam

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TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Upstream

• Closure of old upstream dams

need to ensure drained
conditions for seismic stability
• Need to understand dam breach
parameters for partially
saturated TSFs

Clemows Valley Tailings Dam interim restoration of d/s face & final cross-section

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT – Central Cone & Central Decant

Central cone
• Deposition from a central point to
minimize dam height
• Surface water will collect along dams

Central decant
• To discharge water from ring dyke impoundment
• Central water pond to maximize beach length
• Culvert required under/through dam wall

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TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Filtered

No one size fits all!

• Reduces consequence of failure by not
having water stored on tailings surface
• Scale considerations from 20,000 tpd to
>100,000 tpd
• Climate challenges
• Costs relative to the ore value is very
high for low grade copper mines
• Risk of mudflows
• Need to control runoff water

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT – Cell Construction

• Used to limit evaporative area to

maximize water reclaim
• Tailings discharged at maximum
rate in each cell progressively
• Water release calculated with
settling/consolidation data (large
strain consolidation tests)
• Post placement: when water
release (consolidation release) <
evaporation rate - water recovery
stops

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TAILINGS CONTAINMENT – Liner Systems

Underliner Flow (L/day) – 10 • Tailings dramatically reduce

mm dia hole
(tailings 10-7 m/s) seepage through liner defects
6 x 10-6 m/s 5
• Landfill/heap leach liner use of
Geotextile/6 x 10-6 m/s 8
over drains and liner “protection”
1 x 10-5 m/s 4
is not appropriate
Pea gravel Piping failure

Geotextile with pea gravel 6 • Further research on filter

6x 10-7 m/s 3 designs for tailings
• Do not place drains or pervious
soils over the liner

TAILINGS CONTAINMENT - Other Technologies

• Mud Farming (Amphirol –

Archimedes screw tractor (AST)
• Air Drying
• Co-Disposal – mix with mine rock
• Typically difficult and costly
• Co-disposal of filtered tailings with
mine rock
• Co-placement – place ARD rock in
Air drying examples of minewater sludge &
the TSF
conventional Pb/Zn thickened tailings

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TAILINGS TECHNOLOGIES - Reducing the Risk of Tailings Dams

• Design for long term use of the land

• Landform design and “dry” closure
• Filtered tailings can reduce consequence of failure
• Core Zone and Filters
 Place core on upstream slope
 Gradient reduction of tailings/core zone system
• Risk reduction
 Robust filters – use of cyclone sand upstream and downstream of core
 Geomembranes and geotextiles to reduce piping risk
 Beach min. 1.5 x H upstream of dam crest
 Simple design, simple operation

TAILINGS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE - Summary

• Index tests on tailings can provide basis for classification and

preliminary geotechnical properties assessment
• Technologies for improved design:
 Thickening and filter systems to reduce the water content
 Process technologies to separate “benign” tailings and improve water quality
 Dams that use the lower hydraulic gradient benefit of the tailings
 Liner systems that maximize benefit of the tailings
 Geometric technologies to optimize the TSF design

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Tailings Subcommittee – New Bulletin

Tailings Dam Safety

Introduction

• Need for a common International Guidance

• Minimum requirements for dam safety
• Governance aspects affecting dam safety
• Important references
• Cooperation with ICMM, UNE and other stakeholders

Dam Safety Guideline that provides requirements for design of tailings

dams inclusive of design basis, geotechnical, hydrotechnical,
environment risk management and closure for safe dams

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Bulletin Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Governance
• Design
• Construction
• Operations
• Closure
• Emergency Response

Governance

• Summary of Governance Principles

• Risk register and risk controls

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Governance – Responsibility and Accountability

• Dam Owner (accountable executive) – Direct corporate responsibility

• Responsible Person – Operations person (engineer) responsible for
oversight of TSF and coordination of all aspects influencing safe
design and safe operations
• Engineer of Record (Qualified Professional) responsible for safe
design
• Independent Reviewer(s) – Review Boards, Peer Reviews
• Corporate HSEC audits “checking” dam design and governance
processes

Governance – Risk
• An engineering failure modes effects assessment (FMEA) will
be carried out for the TSF and associated facilities.
• Preventative controls for the dam failure mechanisms need to
be documented. Monitoring requirements for confirming that
preventative controls are implemented need to be documented
and implemented.
• Critical preventive controls should be determined using the
ICMM framework. Monitoring methods for critical controls and
trigger action response plans (TARPS) need to be
documented.
• Mitigative controls developed

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Design

• Alternative (site and technology) assessment and selection

• Consequence determination
• Site characterization and site conditions
• Design basis/criteria
• Design Component
• Geotechnical
• Hydrogeological
• Hydrotechnical
• Environmental

Design Alternative Assessment and Selection

• Alternative site and technology assessments

• Stages of design and risk reduction (likelihood and
consequences)
• Design for “ultimate” dam height (life of mine planning)
• Design for closure

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Design – Dam and Site Characterization

• Bedrock geology
• Surficial geology
• Geotechnical parameters
• Hydrogeologic conditions
• Seismo-tectonic conditions

• Dam Foundation Guideline (Engineers & Geoscientists of BC, 2016)

Design – Consequence Assessment

• A semi-quantitative dam break analysis may be carried out for

lower consequence TSF and detailed numerical models for high
consequence TSFs.
• Consideration of water transported tailings and “liquefaction”
flow
• Dam break analyses will be carried for “sunny” day and “flood”
conditions
• Inundation maps for the dam break conditions

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Consequence Classification – example only

• IN PROGRESS

Flood and Seismic Criteria – example only

• IN PROGRESS

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Factors of Safety – example only

• IN PROGRESS

• Factors of safety commensurate with behavior of materials and uncertainty of material properties
• Eurocode 7 – limit state approach and load factors

Design

• Design basis memorandum (example)

• Geotechnical
• Hydrogeological
• Hydrotechnical
• Environmental (e.g. geochemical)

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Construction

• Engagement of designer/engineer/EoR --- QA

• As constructed documentation
• Ongoing processes with continual change
• Specifications for fill and tailings placement
• Engagement, competence of operators
• Foundation preparation
• Deposition requirements

Operations

• Operations Maintenance & Surveillance Manual implementation

• Data collection, records
• Design (EoR) verification and interaction with operations
• Scheduling of raises
• Water management
• Monitoring and critical controls
• Responsibilities (technical training)

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Closure

• Design for closure

• Closure design should be feasibility level (comprehensive) and
updated regularly (e.g. five years)
• Design to transition to “land form” or “mine waste structure”
• Repurposing of the facility
• Progressive closure
• Executive summary of ICOLD Bulletin (153) on Closure

Emergency and Response Planning

• Specifically developed for dam failure modes

• Identifying dam failure sequences and what you do at stages of
escalation
• Identifying what equipment, resources, etc. are required for
different types of failure
• Linkage to trigger, action, response plans (TARPs)

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Path Forward

• Integration/compatibility with ICMM/UNE and others working

towards the same objective
• Accelerated preparation of the Guideline
• Initial Draft in 4 months and Draft by year end

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