A robust numerical framework for non-Newtonian tailings flows in dam breach scenarios

Authors: Skifa, N; McKenna, J; Glenis, V

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DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2655_36

Cite As:
Skifa, N, McKenna, J & Glenis, V 2026, 'A robust numerical framework for non-Newtonian tailings flows in dam breach scenarios', in AB Fourie, M Horta, M Oliveira & S Wilson (eds), Paste 2026: Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2655_36

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Abstract:
Tailings storage facilities (TSF) are among the largest man-made infrastructures, and their failures lead to devastating consequences. Understanding the flow of tailings following a dam breach is critical for designing effective mitigation strategies to protect downstream communities, and ecosystems. However, commonly applied flow models often struggle to capture the complex non-Newtonian behaviour of tailings, particularly the variation in viscosity under rapidly evolving flow conditions. To overcome this limitation, this work presents a finite-volume shock-capturing solver for the incompressible flow equations, incorporating a quadratic viscoplastic rheology to model tailings flows. In addition, the model integrates robust hydrodynamic reconstruction techniques to ensure the balance of fluxes, material interfaces, and nonlinear flow dynamics. By incorporating a more-realistic representation of the yield and viscous behaviour of tailings, the model addresses key limitations in existing approaches and significantly improves physics-based modelling. The resulting numerical model proved stable and robust for benchmark and idealised dam breach scenarios. In this paper, the development of the scheme is outlined, its numerical performance is discussed and results from the benchmark and idealised dam breach scenarios are presented. This approach represents advancements in tailings flow simulation, offering improved predictive capabilities for both research applications and operational dam safety assessments.

Keywords: tailings storage facilities, tailings flow modelling, Riemann solver, non-Newtonian flow

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