PERMEABILITY AND

CONSOLIDATION PARAMETERS IN
TAILINGS TREATED WITH SEAWATER
Jos CAMPAAa,1, Edgar BARDa, Carlos CARMI b, Luis VALENZUELA a
a
ARCADIS Chile
b
Universidad de Chile

Abstract. The major copper mines in Chile are located in the desert, where water
resources are scarce. Therefore reuse as much water as possible from tailings dams
is a very challenging task. In those facilities, water is lost by evaporation,
infiltration, retention and rewet. From both an environmental and an economic
perspective, the use of seawater either desalinated or not is an attractive alternative.
This paper analyzed tailings consolidation to determine possible changes in
saturated permeability, compressibility or pore pressure dissipation due to the salt
content of seawater. For this purpose characterization, sedimentation, oedometric
and saturated permeability tests were performed on tailings samples with different
fines content, using both seawater and freshwater to establish a comparison.

Keywords. consolidation, saturated permeability, seawater, tailings sands, tailings

dams.

1. Introduction

The major copper mines in Chile are located in the desert, where water resources are
scarce with strong restrictions regarding additional extractions from water-catchment
areas. This situation presents a major challenge to recover the largest amount possible
of water from tailings impoundments. However, a great amount is lost by evaporation,
infiltration, retention and rewet. In some cases desalination processes are used to
provide additional water resources, but they are quite costly and involve a considerable
demand for energy. From both an environmental and an economic perspective, the use
of seawater is a very attractive alternative but it requires that a number of potential
problems have to be analyzed. Esperanza mine, inaugurated on 2011, uses non
desalinated seawater in flotation processes, being a pioneer in this activity in Chile.
There are also environmental issues that may influence the long-term use of
seawater, related to potential pollution of waterways or groundwater. This paper
analyzes the potential influence of seawater on tailings behavior by assessing possible
changes in permeability and compressibility of these materials due to the presence of
salts.

1
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, ARCADIS Chile, jose.campana@arcadis.cl.
2. Effects of salt content on some soils properties

Salt contents in soils may affect their geotechnical properties, in particular Atterberg
limits, compression index, swelling index, consolidation coefficient and shear strength
parameters. These effects are related to the water content and salt concentration in the
soil matrix. The main reason of these changes have been attributed to an increase of
attractive forces between soil particles, establishing bonding between them and forming
salt crystals in soil pores playing a cementitiuos role. Saline soils with low water
content may present different cementation degrees, resulting in an increase of the shear
strength and stiffness.
Another factor to be considered is the soil mineralogy. An increase of the saturated
permeability up to two orders of magnitude on bentonite mixtures has been determined
when tested with solutions of sodium chloride (40 g NaCl/l) [1]. In addition, a
considerable increase in the liquid limit from wL=105%, when using distilled water, to
wL=500%, when using the mentioned saline solution, has been obtained.

3. Historical data

There are very little published data on the variation of saturated tailings permeability
and consolidation parameters. The information considering seawater as fluid is
practically non-existent. One of the most interesting data collection related to these
parameters is the one published by Bussire [2], part of which is reproduced in Table 1
and Table 2 (all tests reported here were performed without seawater). Shamsai et al.
[3] published experimental data (Figure 1) related to the variation of the saturated
permeability in copper tailings considering a very large range of fines content
(materials passing the ASTM sieve # 200: P200). These authors also proposed an
expression to determine the saturated permeability depending on the void ratio and
fines content. Additionally, Rankine et al. [4] presented the results of 24 tests on
tailings samples, with fines content ranging from 22% to 74%. Saturated permeability
in those materials varied from 10-3 cm/s to 10-5 cm/s.

Expression proposed by Shamsai [8]:

2.8
= 0.09 100.08200 ( ) Eq. (1)
+1
where:
k = permeability (cm/s)
P200 = Fines content (%)
e= void ratio

Figure 1. Experimental test data of saturated copper tailings permeability. Fines content (P200) ranges from
50% to 90% (Shamsai et al., 2007).
Bussire [2], Aubertin et al. [5], and Chapuis and Aubertin [6] indicated that
typical relationships like Hazen and Kozeny-Carman are not well suited to predict
saturated tailings permeability. Aubertin et al. [5] proposed a predictive equation,
inspired by the Hazen and KozenyCarman equations:
5.16 k= permeability(cm/s) Cu = coefficient of uniformity
= 1962 ( ) 1/3 10
2
Eq.(2) e= void ratio D10= diameter passing 10% of sample
+1

Table 1. Saturated hydraulic conductivity. Laboratory test results on remolded and undisturbed hard rock
mine tailings samples (after Bussire [2]).

Table 2. Typical consolidation test results for remolded and undisturbed hard rock mine tailings samples
(after Bussire [2])
 ARCADIS has built an interesting database of saturated copper tailings testing a
large number of samples from different mining operations in Chile and Peru.
Specimens were tested with a widest range of fines content and void ratios using
flexible wall permeameter according to ASTM D5084 standard. A summary of these
results is plotted on Figure 2.

Figure 2. Saturated copper tailings permeability. Fines content ranges from 15% to 99% (101 data).
Flexible wall permeameter (ASTM D5084) [7].

4. Tailings and types of water used in tests

Tailings samples tested were obtained from two copper mining operations located in
central and northern Chile. Tailings samples reconstituted with different fines content
were tested. Grain size distributions of samples tested are plotted in Figure 3 and the
corresponding index properties are reported in Table 3.
Seawater samples were obtained directly from the ocean at sectors located nearest
to the mining operations (> 100 km). Prior to be used, seawater was filtered to remove
organic matter in suspension and its chemical composition was then analyzed.
The results of chemical analyses of the different types of water used with tailings
samples are summarized in Table 4.
Table 3. Index properties of tailings tested [8].

USCS wL wL PI PI
%F emax emin Cc Cu Gs
Classif. (a) (b) (a) (b)

Sample 1 ML 55 1,979 0,795 0,9 51 2,80 19 18 4 2

SM 33 1,528 0,606 5,7 31 2,73 - - NP NP
ML 100 - - - - - 25 27 7 7
Sample 2 SM 15 - - 1,7 4 2,68 - - NP NP
% F: particles <0,074 mm Cc: Coefficient of curvature USCS: Unified Soil Classif. System
Gs: Specific gravity emin: Minimum void ratio (a): freshwater
emax: Maximum void ratio Cu: Coefficient of uniformity (b): seawater
 Figure 3. Grain Size distribution - Tailings tested [8]

Table 4. Chemical analysis results of the different types of water used in tests [8].
Tailings Sample 1 Tailings Sample 2
Parameters Unit
Freshwater Seawater Freshwater (a) Seawater
pH (20C) - 7,15 7,8 8,1 7,1
Total Alkalinity mg/l CaCO3 140 149 72,6 148
Chlorides mg/l 149 19800 341 21329
Sulphates mg/l 259 2654 1478 2546
Total disolved solids mg/l 818 38866 1478 46916
Calcium Hardness mg/l 310 1030 613 429
Copper mg/l - - 0,02 0,07
Iron mg/l - - 0,12 0,1
Magnesium Hardness mg/l 25 4671 67,1 1246
Oxigen dissolved mg/l O2 - - 8,2 4,1
Conductivity ms/cm - - 3,73 51,4
Total Hardness mg/l CaCO3 345 6658 1880 7390
Solid suspension mg/l No Detected 2,7 - -
(a) Used in mineral processing

5. Saturated permeability tests

The saturated tailings permeability is a relevant parameter for water recovery. Tailings
drainage capacity can be affected by its own weight effect and also by the presence of
salts. Tests to determine saturated permeability were performed in flexible wall
permeameter according to ASTM 5084 standard and the results obtained are plotted on
Figure 4 as a function of the void ratio. As expected, significant differences in saturated
permeability were obtained on samples with fines content of 15% from those with more
than 30%. However, no significant differences were obtained on the same tailings
samples tested using freshwater or seawater, as shown in Figure 4.
 Figure 4. Saturated tailings permeability as a function of the void ratio and type of water. Flexible wall
permeameter.

6. Oedometer tests

Oedometer tests were performed in conventional consolidation equipment.

Samples were prepared and mounted as slurry, 100% saturated, to obtain the widest
possible range of void ratios. Oedometer tests results and associated saturated
permeability are plotted on Figure 5. The saturated permeability was estimated from
the consolidation test using the Taylors square-root of time method. A comparison of
the saturated permeability values obtained from flexible wall permeameter tests and
those deduced from consolidation tests is indicated on Figure 7. Also, consolidation
coefficient (Cv) deduced from the test results are presented on Figure 8.

Figure 5. Oedometer test results: a) void ratio as a function of effective vertical stresses; b) Saturated
permeability as a function of void ratio.
 Figure 7. Saturated permeability. Comparison of Figure 8. Consolidation coefficient vs void ratio.
results from flexible wall permeameter and
oedometer tests.

7. Analysis Results

For the same fines content, saturated permeability results obtained using freshwater or
seawater in flexible wall permeameter do not present significant differences.
Similar saturated permeability values were obtained using seawater or freshwater
in tailings samples with a fines content of 33%, in the odometer and flexible wall
permeameter. However, from oedometer test results a significant saturated permeability
differences were obtained using freshwater and seawater on tailings samples with a
fines content of 55%.
When comparing the results of tests carried out in flexible wall permeameter with
those performed in the oedometer equipment a significant difference in the results of
both measurements is verified, up to 1 and to 3 orders of magnitude. Similar variation
can be found in historical data shown in Table 1. This difference could be associated to
the uncertainties in the determination of the Cv parameter in sandy soils with no-plastic
fines.
No significant or conclusive differences were found in the consolidation
coefficients obtained on tailings samples with a fines content of 33% using freshwater
and seawater. However, a difference in the values of this parameter on looser tailings
samples with a fines content of 55% was detected, but this difference is minimized
when the void ratio decrease.
It is worth noting that both measured and deduced saturated permeability as well as
consolidation coefficient values obtained in the tests performed are in a similar range
than those reported in the technical literature (see Table 1, Table 2 and Figure 2).

8. Final remarks

Multiple expressions available in the technical literature to estimate permeability and

especially those proposed specifically for tailings, such as Shamsai et al. [3] and
Aubertin et al. [5] do not fit with the measured values proposed in this paper, either for
tailings treated with seawater or freshwater. This situation highlights the importance of
measuring these parameters appropriately.
Given the inherent difficulties to determine accurately Cv in sandy soils with no-
plastic fines from oedometer test and then permeability values, it is strongly
recommended to perform permeability tests in a flexible wall permeameter at different
confining pressures to calibrate the results of oedometers tests.
It was observed that the percentage of soluble salts present in tailings samples
increases according to seawater circulation time. A sample tested during 4 days had an
increase in the total soluble salts content in the order of 11%, showing that tailings can
retain part of the salts contained in seawater. In the long term, a progressive increase of
soluble salts content could modify the geotechnical properties of tailings.
It is important to note that a change in saturated tailings permeability affects
directly the drainage and water recovery capabilities from these deposits, the
consolidation time and the long-term drainage, which are very relevant issues for the
closing operation phase of tailings dams.
The authors recommend that economic and environmental aspects must be studied
when the process use seawater as well as the eventual effects by cation interchange in
clay minerals present in the fines content of the tailings.

9. Acknowledgements.

The authors wish to thank ARCADIS for the permission to access to its database and
sponsorship this work.

References

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