Anisotropic shear strength characteristics of a tailings sand

The deposition process of tailings in a tailings dam may lead to the anisotropy of mechanical properties of tailings. To investigate the anisotropic shear strength characteristics of a tailings sand, samples deposited under gravity were sheared in a modified direct shear apparatus along different orientations of the shear planes relative to the bedding plane. The experimental results reveal that the anisotropy has a substantial effect on the peak shear strength of the tailings sand, leading to a variation in peak friction angle of 10°. It is found that the effect of anisotropy on the peak shear strength of the tailings sand is mainly attributed to the effect of anisotropy on soil dilatancy. On the other hand, the effect of anisotropy on the residual friction angle of the tailing sand is relatively smaller, likely due to the partial erasure of anisotropy at large shear deformation. The degree of anisotropy is reduced by an increase in normal stress. To achieve more accurate stability analysis of tailings dams, it is suggested to take into account the shear strength anisotropy of tailings soils.