Abstract
Saturated tailings deposits in the upstream dam are at risk of static liquefaction due to elevated porewater pressure levels. The concept of a potential static liquefaction zone was conceived, and an enhanced method of slices evolving that zone was proposed. The centrifuge test modeled the aluminum tailings dam with a step-likely increasing overburden, to investigate the stress state and deformation pattern during service life. Results showed that the tailings lasted a low level of effective stress and continuous accumulation of flow deformation after the first liquefaction occurrence, implying an enduring liquefied zone under subsequent loading. For a safety design, that zone is referred to as the potential static liquefaction zone and soil inside the zone should be considered to have strength parameters from the instability line instead of the failure line. Based on this assumption, an enhanced method of slices, considering the strength reduction in the potential static liquefaction zone, was proposed. To verify the enhanced method, the centrifuge test of the liquefied tailings was simulated in GeoSlope, where a deep riskiest sliding surface, a large failure zone, and a factor of safety of less than 1 were predicted. However, the traditional Bishop method predicted a factor of safety greater than 1 for the liquefied tailings. Significant predictive differences were also observed in two other liquefied cases: the Merriespruit tailings dam and the Fundão tailings dam.
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The financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 41672270), Guangxi Science and Technology Plan (grant No. AB24010043), Nanning Science and Technology Plan (grant No. RC20230108), and Nanning Qingxiu District Science and Technology Plan (grant No. 2022003) are gratefully acknowledged.
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Lü, X., Zeng, S., Liu, X. et al. Enhanced method of slices with experimental evidence for predicting static liquefaction on tailings dams. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 227 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03735-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03735-5