Deformation-Dependent Mechanical Response in Tailings Dam Failures

在过去的十年里，一系列灾难性的尾矿坝事故造成了公众对采矿运营商安全管理这些结构的能力的信任危机。为此，国际地质技术研究界在加拿大地质技术工程师的部分领导下，动员了一项协调一致的全面努力，旨在将此类事件的发生率降至零或接近零。该研究项目旨在提供知识，支持资源开发商努力实现尾矿坝零事故发生率。从最近的尾矿坝失败来看，越来越明显的是，这些结构的机械反应的关键方面是变形控制的，并涉及剪切阻力的减少。这些影响在最近的案例中发挥了至关重要的作用，包括波利山（Mt. Polley）的溃坝、Fundao大坝的溃坝、Cadia大坝的溃坝和feiao大坝的溃坝。此外，许多这些结构在破坏之前是边缘稳定的，而灾难性的破坏是由相对较小的触发因素引起的36,37,39。这项研究计划旨在扩大我们对这些结构中变形依赖的不稳定机制的理解。其核心问题是，是否可以使用稳定的尾矿结构的变形历史和其他性能数据来可靠地预测其未来行为，包括检测失败的风险，以响应人类活动（例如，计划施工）或环境因素（例如，降雨）造成的变化。申请人将通过在受控条件下复制已知的变形依赖的不稳定机制（例如，侧向约束的损失）来寻求这个问题的答案，同时密切监测它们并在模拟中复制它们。这项工作将包括实验室测试（例如三轴、直接剪切、空心圆柱体扭转剪切测试）、大型实验室物理建模、性能监测和数值分析。参与该项目的HQP将成为地质力学问题数值分析的专家，并将学习确保大坝安全的前沿策略。尾矿坝的失败对传统社区和土著社区的影响尤为严重。在加拿大，尾矿坝安全问题与三个问题有关：环境保护、负责任的资源开发和加拿大土著和解。这项研究直指这些问题的核心。其目的是与采矿经营者和土著社区建立合作关系，并以尊重传统社区和土著社区的方式努力实现环境保护的共同目标，从而架起两者之间相互作用的桥梁。参与的卫生政策人员将接受传统和土著知识方面的培训，并将设法学习如何将土著参与与尾矿坝管理有关的工程实践结合起来。

In the last decade, a series of catastrophic tailings dam failures created a crisis of public trust in mining operators' ability to safely manage these structures. In response, the international geotechnical research community, led in part by Canadian geotechnical engineers, mobilized a concerted, comprehensive effort directed at reducing the incidence of such events to zero or near zero. This research program aims to contribute knowledge that will support the resource developers' efforts to attain a zero incidence of tailings dam failures. From recent tailings dam failures, it is becoming increasingly evident that critical aspects of mechanical response in these structures are deformation-controlled and involve a reduction of shear resistance. Recent cases where these effects played a critical role include the failure of the Mt. Polley TSF9,39, the Fundao dam failure24, the Cadia dam failure12, and the Feijao dam failure30. Furthermore, many of these structures were marginally stable prior to their failure, and catastrophic failure was brought about by relatively minor triggers36,37,39. This research program aims to expand our understanding of deformation-dependent mechanisms of instability in these structures. Its central question is, can the deformation history and other performance data of a stable tailings structure be used to reliably predict its future behaviour, including detecting the risks of failure, in response to changes imposed either by human activity (e.g., planned construction) or caused by environmental factors (e.g., rainfall). The applicant will seek answers to this question by replicating known deformation-dependent mechanisms of instability (e.g., loss of lateral confinement) under controlled conditions while closely monitoring them and replicating them in simulations. The work will involve a combination of laboratory testing (e.g., triaxial, direct shear, hollow cylinder tortional shear tests), large-scale laboratory physical modelling , performance monitoring and numerical analysis. HQP engaged in this project will become experts in numerical analysis of geomechanical problems and will learn the cutting-edge strategies for ensuring dam safety. Tailings dam failures disproportionately affect traditional and Indigenous communities. In Canada, the problem of tailings dam safety is linked to three issues: environmental protection, responsible resource development, and Canadian-Indigenous reconciliation. This research strikes at the heart of these issues. The intent is to build collaborations with mining operators and Indigenous communities and to bridge the interactions between the two by working towards the common goal of environmental protection in a manner that is respectful of traditional and Indigenous communities. The engaged HQP will receive training in traditional and Indigenous knowledge and will seek to learn how to integrate Indigenous participation the engineering practices related to tailings dam management.