Impact of unsaturated strength‐deformability properties on stress‐deformation condition and stability of tailing dams

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Tailing dams are large structures whose downstream slope is made from wet fine sand without applying compaction energy. They are always designed with parameters determined in saturated condition, but since the draining reduces the saturation degree, it favourably influences the behaviour of the dam. Having in mind the dedicated laboratory tests conducted in unsaturated condition, those determined strength and deformability parameters were applied in numerical analysis for the calculation of stress and strain condition and the stability of tailing dam. The results of these calculations are commented below since they contribute to the clarification of the role and influence of partial saturation on the slope stability and deformability of tailing sand.</jats:p>