Variability characterization of a gold tailings deposit considering piezocone soundings interpretation

Abstract Geotechnical properties vary spatially owing to their mineralogical composition, stress history, and deposition processes, even within homogeneous soil layers. This high degree of variability imposes considerable limitations on the calculation and simulation of models based on deterministic parameters extracted from the field. Mine tailings exemplify this scenario, where the difficulty of sample extraction and laboratory characterization further complicates the challenges. Consequently, field investigation becomes a crucial factor in determining the behavior to be used in geomechanical models. To address this issue, this study focuses on quantifying statistical parameters, including the mean, standard deviation, probability density function, and fluctuation scale-scarce in the literature-derived from direct measurements of piezocone tests and related strength parameters. The results indicate that despite the high variability of the deposit, after a careful profile evaluation considering the characteristic behavior of coarse and fine materials, it was feasible to evaluate the adherence of both normal and lognormal distributions for strength parameters. The fluctuation scales also show high dispersion, ranging from 0.1 to 3.3 meters. This research contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the spatial variability in mine tailings and provides practical insights for future applications.