Effects of geosynthetic reinforcement on tailings accumulation dams

Abstract

Owing to the complexity of current reinforcement mechanisms, test results from existing models alone cannot provide a basis for the design of new tailings dam reinforcement projects. On-site reinforced tailings accumulation dam testing is thus required to further understand the reinforcement mechanism. In this study, the influence of reinforcement on tailings dams and the variation law of pore water pressure (PWP) and internal pressure (IP) in the dam body after slurry dis-charge were analysed, and a comparative analysis was performed. The results showed that during the field test, the PWP and internal earth pressure of the accumulation dam after grouting gradually increased over time. Reinforcement can greatly reduce the PWP and IP of the reinforced dam; compared with geotextiles, the reinforcement effect of geogrids is slightly greater. Based on these results, we conclude that geosynthetics are a good choice for strengthening tailings accumulation dams.