Research on the mine debris flow surging from tailings dam-break based on simulation experiment

In China, currently there are more than 7, 000 tailings impoundments all over the country and most of them have potential hazard. Mine debris flows and surges triggered by the sudden complete collapse of tailings dams have resulted in the loss of many lives and considerable property damage, including irreversible pollution of downstream areas. So it must be ensured the tailings dam stability, at the same time, to predict the mine debris flow surging from tailings dam-break and to propose the emergency preparedness is very important, once the tailings dam breaks, the crowd of downstream can remove immediately and safely, so as to lighten the loss of disaster. Therefore, a series of laboratory simulation experiments of tailings dam-break wave were carried out in a uniform geometry flume that can reproduce (predict) mine debris flow surging from tailings dam-break in this study. Through the simulation experiment, the hydro-dynamical characteristics of tailings dam-break wave which includes the law of debris flow evolution, the change of impact force strength and velocities of the front of wave are considered in the conditions of changing the dam height and volume concentration. The results reveal that the simulation experiment in a hydrodynamic laboratory for mine debris flow surging from tailings dam-break was a useful method. And the results can provide reliable information for guiding the crowd of downstream to remove immediately and safely and also can guide the mining enterprises to prevent and control the disaster of tailings dam-break.