Challenges in the geotechnical characterisation of bauxite tailings (Red Mud)
Challenges in the geotechnical characterisation of bauxite tailings (Red Mud)
The geotechnical characterisation of tailings from mining operations is a current challenge of great relevance. The geotechnical behaviour of tailings accumulation is very variable and depends on many factors, among others, the original mineralogy, the process used to obtain the ore, and the deposition form. Authors have studied tailings of various mineralogical origins, dealing with their geotechnical and geochemical particularities. The data presented in this paper comes from the study of Bauxite tailings, known as Red Mud. Tailings geotechnical characteristics are also a function of their disposal method, which depends on the percentage of solids, i.e. whether they were disposed as slurry (<50%), thickened (50% to 65%), paste (65% to 70%), or filtered (>70%), and if compaction processes were used. In this paper, the main Red Mud aspects and its geotechnical characteristics (obtained from literature) are presented, and the differences in the mechanical behaviour depending on the disposal method are discussed.
Isabel F. Lopes; M. Garcia; G. Tavares
18th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ECSMGE2024)
C - Risk analysis and safety evaluation
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