Recently, Fundamental Research of Tailing Dam Stability Evaluation and Safety Monitoring, the project proposed by researcher YANG Chunhe from IRSM, wins support from Key Program of National Natural Science Fund, with supporting fund of 2800,000 yuan.

With the continuous development of mining industry, the number of tailing dams is increasing by more than 200 every year. Many dangerous and toxic tailing dams are located around factories and living areas near railways, rivers and highways. Once the tailing dam crashes, it will bring great number of death and disastrous damage to the environment. This project focus on the research of key scientific problems and major project difficulties about the tailing dam stability and safety monitoring. Through a large number of mechanics experiment and penetration testing analysis of tailings material; systematic research of the dynamic characteristics and penetration law of tailing material; and study of the formation mechanism of excess pore water pressure, the project will form tailing dam stability analyzing model and comprehensive evaluation method based on multi-factor effect. Through field test and dam break model test, the project will research the instability trigger mechanism of tailing dam, and build dam break trigger discrimination model and criteria. The project will also study the optimization method of tailing dam field monitoring arrangement; develop a set of highly efficient parameters collection, transfer and analysis network system, construct health diagnosis platform of tailing dam stability affected by multi-factor. The project also plans to develop effective dam construction technology to control tailing dam stability. The research achievement of Fundamental Research of Tailing Dam Stability Evaluation and Safety Monitoring will provide key technology and theory basis to the early-warning and prevention of tailing dam stability.