Coupled numerical simulation of a tailings deposit by FEM

Abstract Researchers have found that a valuable alternative for predicting the mechanical behavior of landfill construction is numerical simulation based on the finite element method. The results of such a numerical simulation for a sandy tailings deposit from the iron mining coupling flow and deformation are presented herein. This study investigates the influence of the construction rate, drainage system, and anisotropy of permeability on the magnitude of pore pressures generated during the construction process. The study also presents the results from different analyses considering different constitutive models including elastic, nonlinear elastic and nonlinear elastoplastic. In obtaining the constitutive parameters, the numerical results highlight the importance of having a more detailed set of conventional triaxial compression tests. Also highlighted by the numerical results is the importance of having an efficient drainage system and the necessity of taking into account the water level variation in the hydro-mechanical behavior of numerical simulations of landfills that are hydraulically constructed.