Tailings Dams — Some Aspects of Their Design and Construction

Tailings is the name given to the waste output from the tail end of an industrial processing plant. About 5x10° tonnes/year of tailings are produced in the world. This amount greatly exceeds the amount of fill handled by the civil engineering profession in the construction of embankment dams, motorway embankments, and all other earthworks. The continuous disposal of tailings is essential for the continuing operation of the processing plant. In order to continue the profitable operation of the plant, the owners require methods of disposal that are as cheap as possible consistent with absolute safety. Any failure in the method of disposal could shut down the processing plant causing loss of profit plus payment to unemployed staff as well as cost of repair and any claims that could arise from the failure. The disposal of tailings can be regarded as a world problem because of their large volumes and the effect they can have on the environment.