Seismic stability of coal-waste tailings dams

Xiangwu Zeng, Wu Jiaer, Richard A. Rohlf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Coal-waste tailings dams are vulnerable to earthquake induced failure. In an effort to understand the seismic stability of tailings dams, field, laboratory, and centrifuge tests were conducted on a selected tailings dam in eastern Kentucky. This paper presents the results and analysis of the tests. Samples of fine refuse obtained from the impoundment had a specific gravity considerably less than a typical soil, and exhibited a high water content and low shear strength even after years of consolidation. Data from centrifuge tests show clearly that a dam built by the down-stream method has much better seismic stability than a similar dam built by the up-stream method.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)950-961
Number of pages12
JournalGeotechnical Special Publication
Issue number75 II
StatePublished - 1998

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