The Relatively Stable Seepage Field: A New Concept to Determine Seepage Field in the Design of a Dry-Stack Tailings Pond

Abstract

The determination of seepage field is the basis to design seepage drainage facilities and dam slopes in tailings pond. However, in the design of a dry-stack tailings pond with a long service life, previous research has been mostly limited to the influence of short-term rainfall, and a proper concept has not been formed to guide the calculation of the seepage field in the design of a dry-stack tailings pond under the cumulative effect of long-term periodic rainfall. The objective of this study is to propose a new concept to concisely determine the seepage field for the design of a dry-stack tailings pond under multi-year periodic rainfall. To this end, the calculation model of the seepage field of a dry-stack tailings pond under multiyear rainfall was established. The evolution process of the seepage field was studied by numerical simulation based on the calculation model and the final form of the seepage field evolution of a dry-stack tailings pond was found. Accordingly, a new concept, the relatively stable seepage field (RSSF) which can be used as the basis for seepage drainage facilities and the dam slope design of a dry-stack tailings pond, was proposed and named. Furthermore, the influencing factors of a relatively stable seepage field were studied by numerical simulation. The results show that: (1) the cumulative infiltration of long-term periodic rainfall is the main reason for the formation of the RSSF, and (2) under the condition of constant annual rainfall, the distribution of the RSSF has little to do with the selection of rainfall mode. Therefore, a new understanding has been formed from this article whereby the RSSF is an essential basis to be considered in the design of the dam slope and drainage system of a dry-stack tailings pond.

Experimental Study on the Evolutionary Law of Transient Saturation Zones in a Red Mud Dam under Rainfall Conditions

“…A red mud tailings pond has a large area, and under the influence of periodic rainfall events over many years, the overall moisture content of the red mud tailings pond will continue to increase, while the water level in the tailings pond keeps increasing due to long-term infiltration [36]. The infiltration line of a red mud tailings pond is relatively high compared to that of a coarse-grained tailings pond, which can easily cause high waterhead pressures on the tailings dam's slopes and lead to infiltration failure.…”

The Seepage Evolution Characteristics in Undisturbed Loess under Dynamic Preferential Flow: New Insights from X-ray Computed Tomography

“…The study of the seepage evolution model is a critical technological issue for the construction and O&M (operation and maintenance) of important facilities located on the earth's surface and underground [78], such as infrastructure embankments [79,80], tailings ponds and dams [81,82], and tunnels and pipelines [83,84]. However, when considering seepage problems in the loess region, it is always based on the macroscopic piston flow based on Darcy's law [85].…”

Numerical Simulation of Seepage Surface and Analysis of Phreatic Line Control from a Fine-Grained Tailings High Stacked Dam under Complicated Geography Conditions

“…Chao Zhang et al [19][20][21] investigated the effect of particle size on tailings' shear strength and dam stability, as well as the dynamic stability of tailings dams. Qiang Li et al [22] established a multiyear rainfall model and proposed that the main reason for the formation of a relatively stable seepage field was infiltration. Qinglan Qi et al [23] proposed a new theory for conceptualizing three-dimensional numerical models and applied the theory to simulate the leachate field of a tailings dam.…”