Fitton, TG & Slatter, PT 2013, 'A tailings beach slope model featuring plug flow', in R Jewell,  AB Fourie, J Caldwell & J Pimenta (eds), Paste 2013: Proceedings of the 16th International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 493-503, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1363_38_Fitton
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1363_38_Fitton/)
Abstract: It has been observed that plug flow can occur in the open channels that naturally form on a tailings beach if the tailings slurry is sufficiently thickened. Plug flow occurs when a yield stress fluid develops an unsheared zone (or plug) in the centre of a channel, pipe or other conduit. It is caused when the yield stress of the slurry is greater than the shear stresses that are acting on it.

This paper presents a new tailings beach slope prediction model that incorporates a plug flow model. The beach slope model is validated using flume data from Chuquicamata, Sunrise Dam and Peak Gold Mine, as well as a range of full scale beach data from some 29 real tailings beaches. It has been found that reasonably accurate predictions are achieved.