In general, most of the tailings dams that are built in Brazil by mining companies are constructed using the upstream method, and the residues produced by the processing plants of these mines are stored as hydraulic fills. Under these conditions, the tailings materials are saturated, in a loose state with high void ratio. In case of fine grained materials, the tailings may be susceptible to liquefaction. To investigate the susceptibility of tailings materials to liquefaction, a large laboratory research program was developed by the Federal University at Ouro Preto, using tailings materials from the mining of iron ore and other materials of the Quadrilatero Ferrifero region, in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Typical results from this research program are presented and discussed in this paper. The employed methodology has demonstrated to be a consistent tool for identifying a collapsing behavior of iron tailings under small strain levels.
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