Stability analysis of lateritic waste deposits

In open-pit mines covered with lateritic soil, the sterile ground is stored in specially prepared sites. The waste area must then be enhanced in order to extend storage capacity. To better understand the effect of an elevated dump, typical laboratory tests (triaxial and oedometer tests) have been performed on the lateritic material. The waste disposal site has been modeled using both limit equilibrium and finite element methods. Different types of finite element models have been run; they take the variation of Young's modulus with depth into account and simulate the effect of construction over various phases. Modeling results are then compared with in situ measurements. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.