Stability analysis on a planned Mexican tailings dam

Sammanfattning: If mine waste materials are stored in dams, the dams are referred to as tailings dams. Tailings dam failures can lead to massive destruction in nearby areas because of the large amount of water and slurry tailings stored in the dams. Tailings dams are large constructions which therefore endure great stresses. If the stresses become higher than what the materials of the dam can tolerate there is a risk that the embankment will collapse. This master thesis is the result of a collaboration between Vattenfall, Elforsk, Uppsala University and Tsinghua University. The purpose has been to evaluate a design suggestion for a tailings dam located in Mexico, and this was done from a strain stress perspective which also included a seepage and displacement analysis. The results indicated that the maximum stresses that occurred in the dam were within the stability region for the fine tailings, but adjustments have to be made regarding the coarse tailings. These results also need to be supplemented with an additional earthquake simulation before a final evaluation can be made.