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Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams
Dissertation (MEng (Geotechnical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613555614810112 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Jacobsz, Schalk Willem |
| author_browse | Jacobsz, Schalk Willem |
| author_facet | Jacobsz, Schalk Willem |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MEng (Geotechnical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/91541 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:38:00.699Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/91541 Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams Jacobsz, Schalk Willem u17029016@tuks.co.za Torres-Cruz, Luis Alberto Basson, Jack Adriaan Matric suctions Unsaturated Soil Mechanics Tailings dams Slope stability Direct Simple Shear DSS UCTD Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-09 SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-12 SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-06 SDG-06: Clean water and sanitation Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-11 SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-13 SDG-13: Climate action Dissertation (MEng (Geotechnical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2023. The strengthening effect of matric suctions is typically ignored in slope stability analyses. This is due to the uncertainty in the magnitude and reliability of in-situ matric suctions and the effect thereof on the shear strength of the material under consideration. Recent developments in field measurement probes allow for the long-term monitoring of in-situ matric suctions and volumetric water contents. The UP tensiometer was installed alongside volumetric water content sensors at various locations on a platinum and a gold tailings dam and monitored for a number of months. The inclusion of matric suctions in slope stability analyses required the identification of a suitable model from the literature that can realistically predict the relationship between suction and shear strength. Shear strength vs suction data were generated by shearing various platinum tailings samples using a direct simple shear device. Matric suction was varied between tests by varying the sample water content to observe the effect of suction on shear strength. Limit equilibrium slope stability analyses of the monitored tailings dams allowed the effect of matric suctions on slope stability to be considered once a suitable unsaturated shear strength model was identified that best modelled the shear strength test results. The effect of matric suctions on slope stability was illustrated by comparing safety factors determined using the classical approach, which only relies on saturated soil mechanics and the Mohr-Coulomb (MC) strength model, and an approach which replaced the MC strength model with a suitable unsaturated shear strength model. The results of unsaturated direct simple shear testing of platinum tailings showed that the model by Vanapalli et al. (1996) best predicts the relationship between matric suction and shear strength. This model, together with the observed unsaturated pore pressure regime observed in the tailings dams monitored, were used in limit equilibrium analyses to assess the contribution of suctions to the factor of safety against slope failure. It was found that the contribution of matric suction to the factor of safety against slope failure ranged between 1.6% and 3.8% for the platinum tailings dam and between 5.6% and 13% for the finer grained gold tailings dam considered in this study. It was thus concluded that the contribution of matric suction to the stability of the platinum and gold tailings dams investigated was small and that it would be both conservative and realistic to disregard. SANCOLD mi2025 Civil Engineering MEng (Geotechnical Engineering) Unrestricted SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production SDG-06: Clean water and sanitation SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities SDG-13: Climate action 2023-07-19T10:33:28Z 2023-07-19T10:33:28Z 2023-09 2023-06-01 Dissertation * S2023 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/91541 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.23701716 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Matric suctions Unsaturated Soil Mechanics Tailings dams Slope stability Direct Simple Shear DSS UCTD Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-09 SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-12 SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-06 SDG-06: Clean water and sanitation Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-11 SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-13 SDG-13: Climate action Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title | Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title_full | Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title_fullStr | Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title_short | Contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| title_sort | contribution of matric suctions to the slope stability of tailings dams |
| topic | Matric suctions Unsaturated Soil Mechanics Tailings dams Slope stability Direct Simple Shear DSS UCTD Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-09 SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-12 SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-06 SDG-06: Clean water and sanitation Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-11 SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities Engineering, built environment and information technology theses SDG-13 SDG-13: Climate action |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/91541 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.23701716 |