Design of a Geomembrane-Laminated Geosynthetic Clay Liner on the Slopes of a Mine Tailings Dam in Emet, Turkey

摘要

We evaluated the potential use of a geomembrane-laminated geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) along the slopes of a boric acid tailings dam in Emet, Turkey. Even though a compacted clay liner (CCL) had been used at the bottom of the tailings dam, it was not possible to place a CCL along the slopes of the dam due to their steepness. Triaxial permeability tests were conducted on the base GCL without a geomembrane and the results indicated that although the volumetric flow through a cross section of the GCL was measured to be very low initially, it increased after a while due to the interaction of the bentonite in the GCL and the mine leachate. For this reason, using a geomembrane-laminated GCL along the steep slopes was found to be an appropriate solution. The mechanical properties of the barrier material were evaluated by performing a parametric study, including a slope stability analysis and an anchorage design for the geomembrane-laminated GCL. Based on the results, a geomembrane-laminated GCL with appropriate mechanical and hydraulic properties was chosen.