Experimental and numerical study of the hydrogeological behaviour of filtered tailings exposed to climatic conditions

ABSTRACT: Filtered tailings are an alternative approach to mine waste management that consists of reducing water content of tailings to allow their disposal without the need for impoundments nor dams. However, filtered tailings storage facilities (FTSF) are left exposed to climate conditions during the operations and the interactions between the tailings and the atmosphere may lead to long-term modification of their hydrogeotechnical behaviour and the water table position. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of climate conditions on the hydrogeological behaviour of filtered tailings. An experimental column was constructed and monitored while various climatic conditions were simulated at the surface. These results were used to calibrate a numerical model of the filtered tailings column. The calibrated results effectively matched global laboratory trends. Preliminary results emphasized the need to account for climate conditions, particularly precipitation intensity and initial water content, when assessing the long-term hydrogeological behavior of FTSF.