Static liquefaction response of silty

tailings in nearly saturated conditions

Gianluca Bella & Guido Musso
Index
① Introduction
② Soil characterization
③ Sample preparation
④ Experimental apparatus and testing
procedure
⑤ Results
⑥ Conclusions
Introduction
TAILING DAMS. Wide surface exposed to the atmosphere whose interaction governs the position of the water table
within the basin → variations in the extension of the unsaturated zone above the phreatic surface

Fig. 1 modified from Zanardin et

al., 2009.
Introduction
STATIC LIQUEFACTION. Temporary loss of the shear strength of saturated loose soils when the pore water pressure
equals the normal stress, and mainly induced by external monotonic loads in undrained conditions (Sladen et al.
1985)
AIM OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH
Experimental study of the static liquefaction behaviour of tailing wastes:

- Influence of the preparation technique;

- Effects of the initial void ratio;
- Influence of the degree of saturation; CIU triaxial tests
- Comparison of theoretical relationships
B value-Sr with the respective
Fig. 2 modified from Lucchi 2020.
experimental values.
Soil characterization
STAVA TAILINGS. Collected after the collapse of the Stava dams in July 1985.

wL wP PI GS k
Fraction
[%] [%] [-] [g/cm3] [m/s]
Silt 27.4 18.0 9.4 2.83 10-7
Tab 1. from Carrera, 2008.

Mineral [%]
Quartz 36.4
Peculiarities of Stava silty fraction: Feldspars K Traces
Little activity
Calcite 11.9
High specific weight
Fig. 4 from Bella 2021.
Fluorite 47.8
Tab 2. from Bella et al., 2017b.
Sample preparation
Fig. 5
Tab 3.
Preparation e0 w0 γd B ec Src
Sample Comments
technique (-) (-) (kN/m3) (-) (-) (%)
S_1 M.T. 1.22 5.0 12.80 0.99 0.82 98.1 L.
S_2 M.T. 1.23 5.0 12.80 0.98 0.84 97.2 L.
S_3 M.T. 1.20 5.0 12.80 0.97 0.71 98.5 L.
S_4 M.T. 1.25 5.0 12.80 0.96 0.79 97.0 L.
S_5 M.T. 1.34 5.0 12.80 0.91 0.78 88.9 N.L.
S_6 M.T. 1.20 5.0 12.80 0.89 0.75 97.3 L.
S_7 E.C. 1.00 21.2 13.90 0.99 0.94 95.8 N.L.
S_8 E.C. 1.06 21.2 13.90 0.99 1.02 100.0 N.L.

* L.=liquefied; N.L.=not liquefied.

Fig. 6
Experimental apparatus and testing
procedures
a) b)

CIU TRIAXIAL TESTS

1. Partial saturation of the sample (flushing and

backpressure);
c) 2. Isotropic consolidation;
3. Strain-controlled shearing (undrained conditions,
at constant radial effective stress), and back-
analysis.

Fig. 6
 Results
INFLUENCE OF THE PREPARATION METHOD ON THE HYDRO-MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR

Chu et al.
2003.
Fig. 7
 Results
INFLUENCE OF THE DEGREE OF SATURATION ON THE HYDRO-MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR

Fig. 8
Results
-B SKEMPTON PARAMETERS AND DEGREE OF SATURATION RELATIONSHIPS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN
EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL VALUES

PRELIMINARY ASPECTS: relationship B-Sr

✓ incompressible soild phase
✓ compressible fluid phases

Fig. 9
 Results
-B SKEMPTON PARAMETERS AND DEGREE OF SATURATION RELATIONSHIPS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN
EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL VALUES

LADE & HERNANDEZ MODEL

(1977)

𝑆𝑟 1 − 𝑆𝑟
𝐵 = 1ൗ 1 + 𝜙𝐾 +
𝐾𝑤 𝑢𝑤

Fig. 10
Results
PRELIMINARY INSIGHT INTO THE CRITICAL STATE CONDITIONS

Fig. 10
Conclusion
• The preparation technique strongly affects the mechanical response of Stava tailing wastes, in
good agreement with literature data on gold tailings;
• Degree of saturation is a key parameter in the static liquefaction response of Stava tailings
(90% border value: above this value, the strength was proved to strongly decrease) in good
agreement with literature data on more standard soils;
• B-Sr relationships: comparison between experimental and theoretical values
• Hydro-mechanical behaviour interpreted within the Critical State framework, a unique CSL
was found for Stava tailings.
• The outcome finds their practical application as fundamental aspects for reliably assessing
the stability of tailing dams.
References
1. Arab, A., Belkhatir, M. and Sadek, M. (2015) ‘Saturation Effect on Behaviour of Sandy Soil Under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading: A Laboratory Investigation‘,
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 347-358.
2. Bella, G. (2017a) ‘Hydro-Mechanical Behaviour of tailings in Unsaturated Conditions‘ Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Struct. Build. and Geotech. Eng., Politecnico di
Torino, Italy.
3. Bella, G. (2021) ‘Water retention behaviour of tailings in unsaturated conditions‘, Geomechanics and Engineering, An Int'l Journal, vol. 26, no. 02, pp. 117-132.
4. Bella, G., Lameiras, F.S, Esposito, T., Barbero, M. and Barpi, F. (2017b) ‘Aging Simulation of the Tailings from Stava Fluorite Extraction by Exposure to Gamma
Rays‘, Revista Escola de Minas, vol. 70, no. 04, pp. 483-490.
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Technique ‘, in Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Geotechnical Research and Engineering (ICGRE’22), Avestia Publisher, Online Conference.
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Static liquefaction response of silty tailings in nearly
saturated conditions
Gianluca Bella & Guido Musso

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