Cone-Shaped Tailings Dam Storage Technique
Tailings, also known as mine dumps, slimes, tails, reject, and discard tailings, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction of an ore from the uneconomic fraction. These materials, consisting of various mineral particles, are usually stored in large, engineered structures called tailings dams. Tailings dams come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the specific application, but the most common type is the cone-shaped tailings dam.
The cone-shaped tailings dam is a popular storage method for a variety of reasons. First, the cone-shape significantly reduces the amount of perimeter that must be monitored, thereby reducing costs and improving safety. Second, the sides of the cone-shaped tailings dam naturally form a stable and waterproof layer of live vegetation, which helps to further contain and stabilize the tailings deposits and keep them out of the environment. Third, the cone-shaped tailings dam has extremely effective voids, which reduce the settling time of the tailings in storage, and thereby reduce the amount of time that pollutants have to leach from them into the environment.
The cone-shaped tailings dam is usually constructed in an open-pit mine and consists of a series of concentric rings, each of which is designed to hold a specific volume of tailings material. The circumference of the tailings dam is lined with an impermeable liner to prevent the seepage of the tailings materials into the groundwater. The liner is usually made of either rubber or synthetic plastics, and can be several feet thick. In addition, a drainage system is typically installed around the circumference of the tailings dam to allow any leaked materials to be safely removed and contained.
Once the tailings dam is properly lined, the process of loading and compaction of the tailings material can begin. The tailings material is typically loaded using a specialized hauling vehicle such as an off-road dump truck. The tailings are compacted into the tailings dam ring using a variety of techniques such as vibratory or tamping compaction. Tamping compaction is a popular technique because it reduces the settling time of the tailings, allowing them to be placed more quickly with less risk of contamination of the surrounding environment.
The resulting cone-shaped tailings dam provides an effective, long-term method for containing and storing mine tailings. It helps to minimize the risks of contamination and help protect the surrounding environment and ecosystems. In addition, because the tailings are placed in a confined space, they are significantly easier to monitor, control, and manage, making the application of this technique even more beneficial.
