Fitton, TG, Seddon, KD & Alexander, MG 2010, 'Geosynthetic capping of a large tailings storage facility', in R Jewell & AB Fourie (eds), Mine Waste 2010: Proceedings of the First International Seminar on the Reduction of Risk in the Management of Tailings and Mine Waste, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 263-273, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1008_23_Fitton
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1008_23_Fitton/)
Abstract: The capping of a large tailings storage facility using geosynthetic material and rockfill is presented as a case 
study. This paper focuses on a project to place a 13 metre thick capping layer over a 24 hectare, 40 metre 
deep in-pit coal tailings storage facility (TSF) in the Hunter Valley, in eastern Australia. The coal tailings 
stored in this mined out pit possess very low strength, and conventional attempts at capping have proven to 
be unsuccessful due to stability failures of the tailings. A geosynthetic capping design was developed, in 
which the entire surface of the tailings is to be covered in geosynthetic material that is anchored around the 
perimeter of the TSF, enabling the careful placement of layers of fill material using lightweight earthmoving 
equipment. Innovative methods of placement and joining of the geosynthetic material have been developed. 
The methods of fill placement on the weak tailings have also been innovative, with the deployment of 
unconventional machinery where most other earthmoving machines have been unable to work. This paper 
presents an overview of this project, as well as some of the details of the solutions that have been developed.