Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2019) 12:462

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4623-6

ORIGINAL PAPER

Optimisation of binder alternative for cemented paste fill

in underground metal mines
Prashant Singh 1 & Chandra Nath Ghosh 1 & Santosh Kumar Behera 1 & Kanhaiya Mishra 1 & Dhirendra Kumar 1 &
John Buragohain 1 & Phanil Kumar Mandal 1

Received: 4 July 2018 / Accepted: 10 July 2019

# Saudi Society for Geosciences 2019

Abstract
To maximise ore recovery safely and economically, a proper backfill design of required strength is imperative to facilitate
extraction of adjacent stopes. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has a direct impact on the strength gained by the paste fill mix
and is also a major contributor to the backfilling cost. This has prompted the users to go for partial replacement of OPC with
readily available industrial wastes such as fly ash and jarosite to obtain a paste mix of desired strength. This paper highlights the
use of a mathematical model to predict the strength requirement (unconfined compressive strength and cohesion) of self-
supporting paste fill for secondary pillar extraction of stopes in metal mines. This paper also highlights extensive laboratory
investigation carried out for partial replacement of OPC with fly ash and jarosite to map the changes in the strength of paste mix
with time. Initially, the percentage of OPC required to achieve the designed strength was evaluated and subsequently, the
percentage of OPC in the mix was replaced gradually with fly ash and jarosite. Laboratory results indicated that the strength
of the paste mix increases with curing period (7, 14, 28 and 56 days) and the chemical composition of the ingredients also played
a major role in strength development. The results were then compared with the required strength predicted from the model to
obtain proper paste mix for existing mine’s stope dimension.

Keywords Mill tailings . OPC . Fly ash . Jarosite . Paste fill . Chemical composition . UCS . Cohesion

Introduction technology and its application in many underground metal

With a general trend towards maximum recovery, the extrac-
tion of pillars and ore remnants surrounded by fill is becoming
increasingly important especially in places where the grade of
the ore is very high. Mill tailings generated by the beneficia-
tion plant are getting finer with the decreasing cut-off grade
and therefore, the option of conventional backfilling with clas-
sified tailings is getting remote. The scope of backfill being
placed in underground mines without any excess run-of-water
has always been infancy of present-day practicing mining en-
gineers (Abdul-Hussain and Fall, 2011; Helsinki et al. 2007;
Li and Pengyu 2015). The development of paste backfill
Editorial handling: Murat Karakus
* Prashant Singh
prashantcmri@yahoo.com
1
CSIR - Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Barwa Road,
Dhanbad 826015, India
mines of the world marked the dawn of a new era in backfill
technology (Ercikdi et al. 2017; Potvin 2005). This has
sparked an urge to apply this technology into Indian mining
scenario.
The percentage of binder mainly ordinary Portland cement
(OPC) may or may not be added to the backfill depending on
why it is being used, viz. waste disposal, working platform for
subsequent lifts or to have self-standing capabilities for sec-
ondary pillar extraction. In case, the sole purpose of the fill is
to provide a working platform, then the unconfined compres-
sive strength (UCS) becomes imperative and if the fill is used
for secondary pillar extraction, then both the UCS and shear
strength of the fill come into play. Binders are a major cost
component of cemented fill and the cost of binder could rep-
resent up to 75% of the backfill costs (Hassani and Archibald
1998). In this study, the minimum strength required by
cemented paste fill (CPF) for existing stope dimension of sub-
level stopes at Sind Khurd (SK) Mines is estimated using
simplified version of the limited equilibrium approach pro-
posed by Mitchel et al. in the early 1980s (Mitchel et al.
 462 Page 2 of 8 Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462

1982). An extensive laboratory study was also carried out to Table 1 Physical properties of mill tailing, jarosite and fly ash
evaluate the geotechnical parameters of CPF prepared from Parameters Mill tailing Jarosite Fly ash
mill tailing of SK Mines and OPC at different curing periods.
In this study, an effort was also made through laboratory ex- Colour Grey Yellow Light grey
periments to replace the OPC content of their present paste Specific Gravity (G) 2.91 2.79 2.13
mix (8%, OPC; 92%, mill tailings) of their bulk pour from 8% Bulk density (ρ), g/cm3 1.49 1.73 0.82
to a lesser value by replacing it with cheaper binder alterna- Porosity (%) 32 38 61
tives, viz. fly ash and jarosite. On the basis of these tests, Particle size analysis
optimum mix for the CPF which achieves the targeted strength D90, μm 89.13 58.5 122.82
requirement as determined my analytical approach is decided D50, μm 29.92 5.45 29.10
for a different paste mix configuration. D10, μm 4.75 1.16 5.23
D30, μm 14.68 3.06 14.01
D60, μm 76.73 7.75 40.28
Materials and laboratory studies Coefficient of uniformity, Cu 15.153 6.68 7.70
Coefficient of curvature, Cc 0.591 1.041 0.932
Materials Specific surface area (m2/kg) 481.4 629.2 654.2

Tailings generated from the processing plant of SK Mines,
Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), was collected as it is the main
ingredient for CPF mix contributing to about 90–95% by
weight of solid content along with OPC, its percentage vary-
ing from 5% by weight (bulk fill) to 10% by weight (plug
formation) with an average of 8% by weight. Similarly, fly
ash was collected from their captive thermal power plant.
Jarosite, an acidic solid waste generated during the hydro-
metallurgical leaching of concentrates in lead-zinc smelter of
HZL, was also collected from its land disposal site after being
treated with lime to make it neutral. The samples of mill tail-
ings, fly ash and jarosite were subjected to physical, chemical
and geotechnical analysis to evaluate the efficacy of fly ash
and jarosite as a partial binder substitute for OPC.
Laboratory studies and results
The samples of mill tailings, fly ash and jarosite were subject-
ed to physical and chemical analysis. CPF mix with 8% OPC
grade-43 (by weight) at a water-to-solid ratio of 77:23 (by
weight) was prepared in the laboratory as a base mix.
Subsequently, the percentage of OPC in the base mix was
reduced from 8 to 4% by replacing it with fly ash and jarosite.
These paste mixes were subjected to settlement tests and geo-
technical studies to evaluate the efficacy of fly ash and jarosite
as a partial binder substitute for OPC.
D90, D50, D10, D30 and D60 are the particle diameter sizes that 10%, 30%,
60% and 90% of the sample particles are finer than the corresponding size
of the sample particles, Cu = D60/D10 and Cc = (D30)2 /(D60D10)
physical characterisation of mill tailings, fly ash and jarosite
are summarised in Table 1. The particle size distribution curve
of mill tailings, jarosite and fly ash samples is shown in Figs.
1, 2 and 3, respectively.
The physico-mechanical test carried out on CPF ingredi-
ents shows that the bulk densities of the mill tailings, jarosite
and fly ash used were 1409 kg/m3, 1730 kg/m3 and 820 kg/
m3, respectively. The specific gravity of the mill tailings,
jarosite and fly ash was 2.91, 2.79 and 2.13, respectively.
The porosity of fly ash sample was found to be the highest
at 61% followed by that of jarosite 38% and mill tailings 32%.
The Blaine specific surface areas of the mill tailings, jarosite
and fly ash were 481.4 m2/kg, 629.2 m2/kg and 654.2 m2/kg,
respectively.
Setting studies were carried out on base paste fill mix with
OPC and its replacement by fly ash and jarosite. This study
was carried out using Vicat apparatus as shown in Fig. 4. The
100
90
80
Percent Passing

70
60
Physical and setting characterisation
50
40
The physical properties of mill tailings, fly ash and jarosite
30
which are of particular interest for CPF include determination
20
of bulk density, specific gravity, porosity and particle size
10
distribution (Fall et al. 2005). The particle size analysis was
0
conducted by using laser-based Malvern “MASTERSIZER – 0.1 1 10 100 1000
3000” which is based on laser diffraction technique and works Particle Size (µm)
on the principle of wet dispersion method. The results of Fig. 1 Particle size distribution curve of mill tailings
Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462 Page 3 of 8 462

100
90
80
Percent Passing

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.1 1 10 100 1000
Particle Size (µm)
Fig. 2 Particle size distribution curve of jarosite

initial and final setting time is determined and the results are
enumerated in Table 2.
From the setting test results, it was found out that as OPC is
replaced with fly ash as a binder, the setting time reduces
gradually, but that is not the case for jarosite; the setting time
of the paste fill increases with the increase in jarosite
percentage.
Chemical characterisation
The chemical composition of the mill tailings, jarosite and fly
ash was determined by XRF study. The analysis was conduct-
ed by using ZSX Primus (Rigaku) instrument which is a
wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The
results of elemental composition of mill tailings, jarosite and
fly ash are shown in Table 3.
Pozzolans such as fly ash and jarosite can react with lime in
a wet or watery environment to produce insoluble products
such as hydrated calcium silicate (C–S–H) gel and precipita-
tion of calcium hydroxide (portlandite) crystalline phase. The
hydration of calcium aluminate phase (C3A) and ferrite
(C4AF) component of cement takes after the dissolution of
gypsum, and the hydration product is either ettringite or
monosulfoaluminate, depending on the concentration of sul-
phate ions in the pore solution. Both calcium silicate
Fig. 4 Vicat apparatus used for setting study
phaseC3S and C3A phase of OPC contribute to early mechan-
ical strength development of paste fill by the growth of C–S–
H gel and precipitation of ettringite in the interstices between
tailing particle. Dicalcium silicate (C2S) contributes to the late
strength gain (beyond 28 days). “Hydration index or HI” is an
important criterion ascribed to pozzolans, an indicator of the
extent of chemical reactivity and HI should be greater than 1
for good reactivity (Nieminen and Seppanen 1983).

CaO þ MgO þ 1 3 Al2 O3
HI ¼  >1 ð1Þ
2
Al O þ SiO2
3 2 3
The results of chemical composition analysis show that the
oxides of silica, alumina, calcium and iron are the major com-
ponents contributing about 33.34%, 12.13%, 17.42% and
16.58%, respectively, to the total elements of mill tailing.
Chemical composition of jarosite indicates the presence of
oxide of iron (Fe2O3) in abundance at 31.01% followed by
oxide of sulphur (SO3) at 29.28% and oxide of silica (SiO2) at
19.38%. Jarosite also contains small amounts of CaO, K2O,
Table 2 Setting time of paste mix configuration

100
Mix Composition Setting time (h) Paste density
90
Initial Final (g/cm2)
80
Percent Passing

70 A1 8% OPC 11 21 2.10
60 A2 7% OPC+ 1% fly ash 11 21 2.08
50
A3 6% OPC+ 2% fly ash 10 20 2.05
40
A4 5% OPC+ 3% fly ash 9.5 19 2.00
30
A5 4% OPC+ 4% fly ash 9 18.5 1.94
20
A10 7% OPC+ 1% jarosite 11 21 2.10
10
A11 6% OPC+ 2% jarosite 11 22 2.07
0
0.1 1 10 100 1000 A12 5% OPC+ 3% jarosite 11.5 22 2.00
Particle Size (µm)
A13 4% OPC+ 4% jarosite 12 23 1.96
Fig. 3 Particle size distribution curve of fly ash
 462 Page 4 of 8 Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462

Table 3 Chemical composition of mill tailings, jarosite and fly ash samples

Sample name SiO2 (%) Al2O3 (%) Fe2O3 (%) TiO2 (%) CaO (%) MgO (%) P2O5 (%) SO3 (%) Na2O (%) K2O (%)

Mill tailings 33.34 12.13 16.58 0.37 17.42 6.43 1.08 10.43 0.49 1.73
Jarosite 19.38 9.45 31.01 0.21 4.93 0.6 0.3 29.28 4.5 0.33
Fly ash 60.71 27.27 4.61 1.67 2.08 0.56 0.79 0.86 0.39 1.05

TiO2, MgO, Na2O and P2O5 and its HI is very less at 0.34.
The fly ash is enriched predominantly with oxides of silica and
alumina. The sum of SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 accounts more than
90% of the total composition in fly ash and its HI is 0.264.
Geotechnical characterisation
UCS beyond 28-day curing period indicating poor pozzolanic
reactivity for both fly ash and jarosite.
Analytical approach to assess CPF strength
requirement

For evaluating the geotechnical properties of different paste
mixes, two sizes of cylindrical moulds were prepared in the
laboratory and were cured for 7, 14, 28 and 56 days as per the
design of the experiment. To determine the unconfined com-
pressive strength (UCS) of paste mix, NX size ( 54 mm Ø and
108 mm length) moulds were prepared and tests were carried
out according to Indian Standard (IS: 9143) as shown in Fig.
5. A tri-axial test to determine cohesion (c) and friction angle
(ϕ) was carried out according to Indian Standard (IS: 13047)
as shown in Fig. 6.
The test result of UCS and tri-axial test for different mixes
of paste fill at different pulp densities as mentioned in Table 2
is summarised in Tables 4 and 5 and represented in Figs. 7 and
8, respectively.
UCS and tri-axial test results show the effect of replacing
OPC with fly ash and jarosite for different curing periods. The
UCS and cohesion decrease with the increase in percentage
replacement of OPC with ash and jarosite as a binder. The gain
in strength and cohesion was rapid up to 28-day curing period
when OPC was replaced with fly ash but in the case of jarosite,
it was found to be rapid only for the first 7 days of curing.
Overall enhancement in strength is observed with the increase
in the curing period. However, there is no substantial gain in
To ensure extraction of ore safely and without dilution, the
strength of the CPF backfill must be high enough to keep it
self-standing during secondary pillar extraction. The most
widely used analysis for the paste fill stability design in un-
derground mine workings is based on the limit equilibrium
approach (Belem and Benzaazoua 2004) and as proposed by
Mitchell et al. (1982).
In Fig. 9, “H,” “B” and “L” are the backfill height, width,
and length, respectively, in metres, whereas “c” and “φ” are
the backfill cohesion and friction angle, respectively. “cb” is
the bond cohesion (adherence) along the interface between the
side walls and backfill and “α” is the angle between the wedge
sliding and horizontal planes. He is the height of the effective
sliding block of paste. By considering the equilibrium of the
wedge and assuming the material obeys the Mohr-Coulomb
criterion, the factor of safety (FOS) is expressed as follows:

Fig. 5 UCS of paste mixes Fig. 6 Tri-axial test of paste mix

Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462 Page 5 of 8 462

Table 4 UCS and tri-axial test

result for fly ash replacing OPC in Mix UCS (MPa) Cohesion (Mpa) Friction (deg.)
base paste mix
7D 14 D 28 D 56 D 7D 14 D 28 D 56 D 7D 14 D 28 D 56 D

A1 1.26 1.37 2.25 2.31 0.34 0.52 0.61 0.69 34.04 28.25 33.58 31.47
A2 1.11 1.22 1.7 1.71 0.34 0.42 0.44 0.44 28.75 30.79 35.66 37.03
A3 0.95 1.13 1.63 1.65 0.29 0.4 0.43 0.43 29.75 30.81 34.4 36.27
A4 0.69 0.95 1.15 1.18 0.25 0.33 0.34 0.37 31.78 33.28 34.83 35.27
A5 0.63 0.9 1.07 1.07 0.24 0.32 0.32 0.33 31.56 33.88 35.12 35.92

tanφ 2cLB The sublevel cut and fill stopes at SK mines, HZL, have a
FOS ¼ þ ð2aÞ general block dimension of H = 75 m, L = 25 m and span B =
tanα BHe*ðγL−2cbÞsin∝
20 m. Cohesion C and UCS value of the stope was calculated
using the above formula with a FOS of 2 for different paste
mixes at different densities as mentioned in Table 2. The re-
B
He ¼ H− tan α; where α ¼ 450 þ φ=2 ð2bÞ sults of the C and UCS required by the CPF to be stable are
2 given in Table 6.
However, a mathematical model modified from Mitchel
et al. approach has been adopted by the authors to find the
FOS for the three-dimensional confined paste fill mass as Discussion
shown in Fig. 9. According to the model, the maximum
free-standing vertical height of the fill wall is a function of The mining and its allied activities generate huge quantity of
the fill properties, such as cohesion, internal angle of friction wastes such as waste rock, tailing, fly ash and slag (Ritcey
and the fill geometry, such as the span height and width of the 2005; Kesimal et al. 2005). The ever-increasing demand for
fill block. The strength of the fill mass also depends on its bulk energy in India in order to achieve and sustain a GDP growth
density (placed) γ (kN/m3). The cohesion C (MPa) required of 8–9% is associated with an increased rate of waste genera-
for any mass of fill to be free standing can be calculated by tion. Coal is likely to remain a key energy source for India for
using the following simplified formula. at least the next few decades, as India has total geological coal
reserve of 315.149 billion tonnes of which 143.058 billion
tonnes is proved reserve (Indian mineral yearbook 2017).
1 γH
c¼ *   ð3aÞ The country’s total coal demand has been forecasted to in-
2 ϕ
Htan 450 þ crease to nearly 2000 million tons in 2031–2032 of which
H 2
þ   approximately 75% would be consumed by thermal power
L B ϕ
H− tan 45 þ
0 plant (Yao et al. 2015). With the growth in the generation of
2 2 coal-based thermal power using about 509.46 million tonnes
low-grade indigenous coal (30–45% ash) as of now, the quan-
The UCS (MPa) to assess the fill quality is determined by
tum of ash generation has reached a gigantic figure of about
using the following formula:
196 Mt in 2017–2018 (CEA Report, 2018). Likewise, every
day enormous quantity of sulphide-rich mill tailings is also


UCS ¼ 2Ctan 450 þ ϕ=2 ð3bÞ generated in mineral processing plants worldwide. The sur-
face disposal of these wastes can cause severe geotechnical

Table 5 UCS and tri-axial test

result for jarosite replacing OPC Mix UCS (MPa) Cohesion (MPa) Friction (deg.)
in base paste mix
7D 14 D 28 D 56 D 7D 14 D 28 D 56 D 7D 14 D 28 D 56 D

A1 1.26 1.37 2.25 2.31 0.34 0.52 0.61 0.69 34.04 28.25 33.58 31.47
A10 1.14 1.24 1.41 1.42 0.3 0.36 0.37 0.38 28.89 29.31 35.83 34.76
A11 0.9 1.1 1.19 1.21 0.29 0.35 0.35 0.37 29.79 29.57 34.58 36.55
A12 0.65 0.73 0.76 0.78 0.27 0.3 0.3 0.31 27.46 33.42 33.55 30.7
A13 0.32 0.46 0.69 0.71 0.21 0.23 0.24 0.25 26.89 28.52 29.75 26.3
 462 Page 6 of 8 Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462

2.5
(failure of ash dyke/tailing dam), environmental (air/water
pollution) and social (huge land for disposal) impacts A1
2
(Mahlaba et al. 2011; Farkish and Fall 2013). Hence, proper
A10

disposal of the waste materials is of utmost importance.
In order to reduce and address the problem of pollution
caused by fly ash, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued various notifications
(Notification of 3rd November, 2009) and subsequent amend-
ments from time to time on fly ash utilisation. These initiatives
and policy decisions by the Government of India have led to
an increased utilisation of fly ash from about 10% in 1996–
1997 to the highest level of 67.13% in 2017–2018 (CEA
Report, 2018). On analysis of the percentage utilisation of
fly ash in different sectors, it was found out that cement in-
dustries consume about 25% of the ash generated, followed by
10.5% utilisation in low-lying area reclamation, 9.01%
utilisation for manufacturing bricks and tiles, 6.9% utilised
in ash dyke raising, 6.37% utilised in mine filling, 3.4% in
roads and flyovers, 0.29% in agriculture and about 33% of fly
ash is unutilised and directly sent to the surface disposal site
for dumping (CEA Report, 2018). With the present practice of
fly ash disposal in ash ponds (generally in the form of slurry),
the total land required for ash disposal would be about
82,200 ha by the year 2020 at an estimated 0.6 ha per MW
(Tiwari et al. 2016).
The option of backfilling industrial/hazardous waste in the
underground mined-out voids created during ore extraction
can open avenues to its bulk utilisation. In India, the utilisation
of fly ash for backfilling of mined-out voids has increased
from about 0.65 Mt during 1998–1999 to 12.52 Mt in 2017–
2018 constituting 6.37% of total fly ash utilisation in the afore-
said year. The utilisation of industrial waste such as fly ash,
jarosite and mill tailings in large underground mining voids as
a paste backfill material has numerous advantages. Firstly, it
can partially substitute OPC as binder material thereby reduc-
ing the backfilling cost. Secondly, it will help to maximise ore
recovery; pillars that provide support to the ore structures are
also extracted and replaced with cemented paste backfill sub-
stitutes (Célestin and Fall 2009). Thirdly, paste fill is a non-
UCS (Mpa)
1.5
A11
1 A12
0.5
A13
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Curing time (days)
Fig. 8 UCS with varying OPC and jarosite proportions at different curing
days
segregating material and reduces the mine cycle time due to
the early development of compressive strength, and it is
known for a higher rate of solid waste utilisation, particularly
finer waste. Further, fly ash addition improves the microstruc-
ture and rheology which may lead to longer life of the paste.
The addition of fly ash helps in the reduction of thermal crack
by delaying the heat of hydration and enhances the life of
structures (Surabhi 2017). The addition of fly ash in CPF is
also found to reduce its setting time and fulfil the strength
requirement up to a certain extent with a different mix config-
uration as indicated by the result of this study. Although var-
ious investigations have been done regarding the partial re-
placement of cement with fly ash, the long-term effect of
tailings and fly ash with different mineralogical compositions,
physical characteristics and particle size range on the strength
gain of paste still remains unanswered. In this regard, further
L
B

He Cb Open face of
backfill
Cb

H
Rock wall
Rock wall

Sliding plane
Fig. 7 UCS with varying OPC and fly ash proportions at different curing
days Fig. 9 Wedge block model of the stope (Li and Michel 2012)
Arab J Geosci (2019) 12:462 Page 7 of 8 462

Table 6 Calculated strength

requirement by CPF to be stable Paste Paste density Avg. friction angle γ (unit weight) Cohesion “C” UCS
ID (g/cm3) (degrees) (kN/m3) (MPa) (MPa)

A1 2.10 32 20.60 0.288 1.04

A2 2.08 33 20.40 0.281 1.04
A3 2.05 33 20.11 0.278 1.02
A4 2.00 34 19.62 0.268 1.00
A5 1.94 34 19.03 0.259 0.98
A10 2.10 32 20.60 0.287 1.04
A11 2.07 33 20.31 0.281 1.03
A12 2.00 31 19.62 0.276 0.98
A13 1.96 28 19.23 0.281 0.93

studies are also required to be carried out for performance
analysis of paste fill with a different mix configuration for
encouraging the enhance utilisation of waste materials for
the backfilling particularly paste fill.
Conclusion
From the particle size distribution study of mill tailing, jarosite
and fly ash, it was found that the amount of fines “D10” in jarosite
(1.16 μm) was the highest followed by that of mill tailings (4.75
μm) and fly ash (5.23 μm). The flat nature of particle distribution
curve indicates that all the component of paste mix is well graded
having a coefficient of uniformity (Cu) > 6. High Blain specific
surface of both fly ash and jarosite will enhance their reactivity as
pozzolans. From the setting test results, it was found out that as
OPC is replaced with fly ash as a binder, and the setting time
reduces gradually; this may be attributed to the fact that CaO
present in fly ash consumes excess water present in paste mix
for calcium hydration resulting in its increased concentration and
lower setting time. The results of geotechnical analysis on paste
mixes indicate that the strength gained with OPC was more when
compared with that gained with pozzolans such as fly ash and
jarosite. This may be attributed to the difference in mineralogical
composition of OPC that differs from fly ash and jarosite with
respect to contents of C3S and C3A. In OPC, these two minerals
produce a rapid curing effect, while in pozzolans, these minerals
are absent and thus have slow curing properties. Jarosite exhibits
low hydration index; this is due to lower percentage of CaO and
MgO in it. Fly ash also has a low HI as the percentage of CaO
and MgO is less when compared with oxides of silica and
alumina.
On the basis of the results of C and UCS obtained from the
modified mathematical model of Mitchel et al., the following
conclusion can be drawn regarding the acceptance of a paste
mix to be used at SK mines, HZL:
& For partial replacement of OPC with fly ash as a binder
alternative, paste mix A1 and A2 can be used after 7 days
of curing period as it attains the required strength. Paste
mix A3 can be used after 14 days and paste mix A4 and
A5 can be used after the 28-day curing period.
& For partial replacement of OPC with jarosite as a binder
alternative, paste mix A10 can be used after 7 days of
curing period. Paste mix A11 can be used only after the
14-day curing period as it attains the designed strength
after 14 days. Paste mix A12 and A13 cannot be adopted
for backfilling as they fail to attain the desired strength
requirement.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to express their gratitude to
HZL management for supplying mill tailings, Jarosite and fly ash for the
study.
Funding information The present study is conducted with the financial
support from HZL.
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