Tailings storage: exploiting central thickened discharge for capping and closure

Authors: Fitton, TG Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2455_23

Cite As:
Fitton, TG 2024, 'Tailings storage: exploiting central thickened discharge for capping and closure', in AB Fourie & D Reid (eds), Paste 2024: Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 283-292, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2455_23



Abstract:
The idea of central thickened discharge (CTD) has been around for some 50 years since it was first conceived by Professor Eli Robinsky. The idea is based on the discharge of tailings slurry from an elevated point to form a conical mound, thereby avoiding the need for large dams to retain the tailings. Whilst the CTD has now been successfully used in more than 60 mines around the world to date, the use of the CTD for capping or closure of an existing tailings storage facility has only been applied a handful of times thus far. In particular, we refer to the placement of a CTD on top of an existing deposit of tailings for the purpose of creating a self-draining structure that is more efficiently and economically capped for closure of the tailings storage facility. This paper examines some of the cases where a CTD has been placed on top of an existing tailings storage facility, and discusses how some important challenges were overcome.

Keywords: tailings, central thickened discharge, Robinsky, capping, closure, TSF

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