Witteman, M & Simms, P 2010, 'Hydraulic response in cemented paste backfill during and after hydration', in R Jewell & AB Fourie (eds), Paste 2010: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 199-207, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1063_17_Witteman
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1063_17_Witteman/)
Abstract: The distribution of pore-pressures in mine stopes may have important implications to the design of cemented 
paste backfill (CPB) systems. Self-weight consolidation after filling stopes is inherently problematic when 
pore-water pressures begin to develop. However, during cement hydration, self-desiccation begins to occur 
and consequently, pore-water pressures gradually dissipate. In some cases, during self-desiccation, matric 
suctions can develop within stopes, depending upon adopted mining strategies such as, fill rate and percent 
water to binder content. Tracking the evolution and quantifying the hydraulic behaviour in cemented paste is 
rather difficult because of the complexity of the hydrating material. The current study investigates and 
attempts to capture CPB’s transient responses during and after cement hydration through a series of self-
desiccation tests and axis translation tests. Self-desiccation tests are conducted on cemented paste specimens 
containing 0, 3, 5 and 7% wt binder material. The water-retention properties of the material are measured 
without binder, and after 28 days of hydration. This data is then used to approximately model the dissipation 
of pore-water pressures measured at the bottom of stope during a plug pour. The approach shows promise. 
Significance and future improvement to the proposed methodology are discussed.