Advances in tailings monitoring, a hydrogeologists perspective (2021)

Dr KL Morton and WL van Heerden
KLM Consulting Services Pty Ltd, PO Box 119, Lanseria, 1748, South Africa

Abstract
Trends in Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF) monitoring are changing. Standard techniques include the use of prisms and radar, Lidar, satellite, and photogrammetry. All measure the movement of the TSF however, although these methods measure movement of the TSF, they do not address the cause of movement or failure of the TSF. 2021 has seen a shift in monitoring techniques with more thought applied to addressing and controlling causes of movement. This supports more accurate risk management and enables quantitative mitigation of risk.
From a hydrogeological perspective, the use of pore pressure monitoring has definite value for understanding hydraulic pressures upstream, downstream and below a TSF. Targets for maximum pressures or maximum acceptable rates of change in pressures can be set and used to prevent failure. Accurate monitoring in real time coupled with intervention techniques such as pumping, drainage of footwalls or drainage of ponds can manage and increase the stability of sectors of the TSF. Addition of a regular in situ geophysical survey, such as the G.RE.T.A. system enables blanket coverage of a slope or embankment. The theory and some examples of monitoring networks coupled with real time monitoring, visualisation and control dashboards illustrate the paper.

Morton, K.L. & van Heerden, W. (2021) ‘Advances in tailings monitoring, a hydrogeologists perspective’, SAIMM International Conference on Tailings Management, SAIMM Journal.