Causes of tailings dam failure

July.23,2022

The tailings pond is a dangerous source of man-made debris flow with high potential energy, and there is a danger of dam failure. Once it crashes, it can easily cause serious accidents. The reasons for tailings dam failure mainly include the following aspects:

1. Flood over the top

Flood flooding is an important reason for the failure of tailings dams. Because the design, construction or management of flood discharge facilities cannot meet the requirements, it often leads to insufficient flood discharge capacity of tailings ponds, blockage and collapse of flood discharge facilities, and a large amount of rainwater pouring into the reservoir during flood season, which may lead to flooding and dam failure.

2. Cracks in the dam body

Some small cracks in the dam body may become channels for concentrated leakage of the dam body, and the appearance of cracks may also be a precursor to the collapse of the dam body. The main reasons for cracks are: insufficient bearing capacity of the dam foundation leading to local collapse and cracking of the dam, improper design of the dam slope and section size, and poor construction quality of the dam body.

3. Penetration damage

Normal seepage can accelerate the formation of dry beaches and consolidation of tailings, improving the stability and safety of the dam. If the design and construction of the dam body are unreasonable, and the seepage and drainage layer of the dam body is not set according to the requirements of stable operation, the

4. Dam landslide

The dam failure accident of tailings pond occurs frequently during the flood season. At this time, it is necessary to strengthen monitoring: whether the dry beach of the tailings pond has been formed, whether the length of the dry beach meets the design requirements, whether the drainage structures are intact and smooth, whether there are unfavorable conditions that cause geological disasters around the reservoir area, and whether the debris flow interception facilities are intact and effective.

Whether the slope of the tailings dam meets the design requirements, whether there is uplift or collapse; whether the surface of the dam body is washed or cracked. If cracks occur, the shape and direction of the cracks should be immediately understood, and their causes and development trends should be analyzed.