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As part of the TAILLIQ project, we are testing different mine tailings on a mini calibration chamber developed at UWA through the modification of a triaxial equipment and the addition of two different small CPT probes developed by the NGCF team (http://www.ngcf.edu.au/) also at UWA.
The mini calibration chamber allows the preparation of samples with diameters of 200mm and 300mm tall. Samples prepared with moist tamping and slurry deposition techniques have been penetrated at different rates with the two available cones. The first and smaller cone has 6mm in diameter and only tip resistance capabilities. The second cone has a diameter of 10mm and the capability of measure tip and sleeve resistances, along with the measurement of the pore water pressure in the position u2 (shoulder).
Special thanks to ConeTec and Klohn Cripper Berger, our kind sponsors on this project.
The data is been analyzed within the critical state soil mechanics framework with the intention to explore the relationship between the state parameter and the normalized tip resistance, among other correlations present on the current literature and practice.
While the first paper produced by this equipment with Australian gold tailings is under revision, we are transitioning our current testing from South African platinum tailings to start with Canadian copper tailings. We are very excited about this project and we are hoping to contribute interesting results for practitioners and tailings storage facilities safety management and design around the world.
If you think the results of this work will be of help for your practice, please feel free to thank our sponsors.
Figure 1: Image of the 10 and 6mm diameter cones
Figure 2: Mini Calibration Chamber general scheme
Figure 3: Mini Calibration Chamber size