Centrifuge modelling of spoil slopes within pit-lake mine reclamations

Abstract

Pit lakes are a common form of reclamation of areas where open pit mining activities have taken place. The development of these lakes often uses previous overburden materials, or “spoils”, that are readily available. Depending on the local geology, these spoil materials can contain large proportions of high-plasticity clays, which poses challenges in terms of the analysis and design of the sloped banks constructed to form new lakes. This paper describes a study in which geotechnical centrifuge modelling was used to investigate the stability and performance, in terms of accumulated displacements over cycles of lowering and raising the lake water elevation, of slopes constructed with a high-plasticity clay. A “replica-spoil” material was used in the tests to replicate key characteristics of spoil materials from known spoil heaps in Europe. The paper describes the centrifuge models and testing procedure developed for the tests, as well as the challenges encountered with the use of the high-plasticity clay. Two slope angles were tested: a 15 slope to match the typical slopes at a known field site, and a steeper 24 slope. Pore pressures within the slope were measured over several cycles of lake water elevation change. Slope displacements were measured using local transducers placed at the slope crest and toe, as well as using a PIV image analysis technique. The slopes were shown to experience plastic deformations, with displacements accumulating over subsequent cycles of lake water level change. The 24 slope developed slightly larger accumulated displacements than the 15 slope, though neither slope showed signs of ultimate collapse. Results from the centrifuge tests provide invaluable data which can be used for the verification of numerical models considering similar stability scenarios.