ABSTRACT
The goal of this article is to present a Stack Break study using Rocscience Slide 3 software to identify the rupture mechanisms of a Waste Mining and Filtered Tailings combined stack. A methodology will be presented for the evaluation of the undrained strength of tailings based on the uniqueness of the critical state line concept developed by Jefferies and Been (2016), where the parameters of the constituent tailings model was estimated through the analysis of laboratory tests results performed in samples of trial embankments executed prior to the construction of the pile. The state parameter is estimated using as a reference the compaction control of the trial embankment and correlations between theoretical stresses, determined from stress-strain models and laboratory tests. The study results in the determination of the flood induced by the hypothetical stack break of the resulting surface wedge using RiverFlow 2D finite element software. As a result, a simplified approach is proposed to estimate the undrained shear strength of waste mining and tailings piles during the design phase, when liquefaction susceptibility information based on geotechnical field tests is not available.
