Use of mining tailings in compacted earth fill

The growing number of researchers dedicated to finding efficient solutions for the disposal or reuse of tailings material is explained due to mining intrinsic environmental issues such as large areas needed for tailings disposal and the severe destructive impact of recent mining dam failures. This paper summarizes comprehensive research on geotechnical parameters of compacted iron tailings ore in the southeast of Brazil, with focus on how to define the ideal tailings mixture for building static barriers against the impact of an eventual tailings dam failure. The study was based on field and laboratory results from experimental earth fills, built with compacted tailings mixtures under various combinations of conditions and equipment. It was also based on the need to understand the behavior of tailings under compaction in order to ensure the proper use of its parameters. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest the best tailing mixture to improve future design based on field tests results.