Sulfide-rich mine tailings usage for short-term support purposes: An experimental study on paste backfill barricades

Abstract

Barricade failures generally occur at the early times of paste backfill when it is fresh in the stopes. The backfill strength increases and need for barricading pressure decreases as a result of the hydration reactions. In this study, paste backfill barricades of Cayeli copper mine were investigated to design cemented mineral processing plant tailings as barricade body concrete. Paste backfill in sub-level caving stopes of the mine needs to be barricaded for only four or five days. Therefore, short term strength and workability tests were applied on several cemented tailings material designs. Barricade failure mechanisms, important points of barricade designing and details of the new concrete material are explained in this work. According to the results obtained with this experimental study, the tailings were assessed to be used in concrete applied as temporary supports such as cemented paste backfill barricades.