Utilization of compacted coal tailings as a structural fill

Abstract

Detailed laboratory investigations were conducted on coal tailings produced at Westcliff Colliery, New South Wales, Australia. Geotechnical tests were conducted to determine the particle-size distribution, mineralogy, compaction characteristics, compressive strength (California bearing ratio), shear resistance, and collapse potential. The tests show that compacted tailings have good potential as effective fill for embankments, tailings dams, mine access roads, and pavements. Large-scale utilization of these tailings for rehabilitation of subsidence-affected areas and mine backfill is particularly encouraging. It is demonstrated that this waste material can be efficiently compacted to produce acceptable engineering properties over a wide range of water contents. Although the behaviour of one specific type of tailings cannot be generalized to the diverse composition of other coal tailings, the results of this study assist in the interpretation of geotechnical data associated with nonconventional fill. The use of geotextiles in the stabilization of tailings is presented. The effect of moisture content and the number of geotextile layers on the shear strength parameters is investigated, and the influence of geotextiles on the failure modes of triaxial specimens is also discussed. Key words : California bearing ratio, coal tailings, compaction, geotextiles, structural fill, triaxial testing.