We recently completed a set of mini penetrometer testing on reconstituted iron ore tailings obtained from BHP’s Mount Whaleback mine. The centrifuge testing included CPTu, T-bar, and ball penetrometers. The focus was on rate effects and brittleness, to enable linking the centrifuge results back to in situ penetrometer and laboratory element testing. This work forms the basis for a publication currently under preparation. These tailings may have been the “reddest” material

One of the focuses of TAILLIQ is using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to simulate cone penetration tests in a saturated undrained granular medium. In this model, the fluid behaviour is simulated using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). The coupled LBM-DEM model is used to simulate the cone penetration tests (See video). The cone movement and particle displacements initiates a fluid pressure difference leading to fluid flow stream formation around the penetrometer and pa

As part of TAILLIQ, we are using tube samples obtained adjacent to CPT probes to supplement and compare to our calibration chamber test results. Tube samples taken in saturated low plasticity tailings can, in some cases, provide a useful estimate of in situ void ratio by means of water content. The material recovered in the tubes can then be used to measure the CSL on reconstituted samples, and Ψ calculated in an manner completely independent from CPT-based methods. As high