Tailings dams

Abstract Tailings dam failures have occurred both in countries with strict standards in tailings disposal and in countries with insufficient regulation of this activity. Indeed, it is possible to mention catastrophic failures of tailings dams in Chile (in 1928, 1965 and 1985), Guyana (Omai in 1995), Spain (Los Frailes in 1998), Canada (Mount Polley in 2014), Australia (Cadia in 2018) and Brazil (Samarco in 2015 and Brumadinho in 2019). The release of tailings and the consequent downstream flow has caused severe environmental damages and, in many cases, loss of human life. The observed systematic increase in tailings dam failures is unacceptable to both society and the mining industry. The current mismanagement of tailings dams has generated strong reactions from various organisations and led to demands for significant improvements in the design, analysis, construction, operation and closure of tailings dams. Consequently, this chapter attempts to provide the fundamental geotechnical concepts that are crucial in the seismic stability of tailings dams.