Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Evaluation of the liquefaction of silty fine-grained materials using the method based on strain energy (case study of Sungun copper tailings dam)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahmood Abdollahi 1
Jafar Bolouri Bazaz 2
Ali Akhtarpouri 2
1 Ph.D. Student of Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2 Associated Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
10.22065/jsce.2024.417683.3226
Abstract
When waste storage dams are used to store millions of tons of waste materials and a large volume of water or hazardous liquid, the sensitivity of different communities to the failure and destruction of such structures in front of earthquake vibrations is felt more strongly. USCOLD's report shows that in recent years, about 185 such incidents have occurred in tailings storage dams and have caused a lot of environmental concerns. The mechanism of dam failures caused by earthquakes in tailings ponds is mainly due to the liquefaction of tailings sands. As a case study, this article examines the effect of seismic loads on the pure silt used in the tailings dam in northwest Iran. Cyclic tests were performed under different initial static shear stresses using an automatic cyclic triaxial system. These materials are supplied from the Sungun copper mine located in the northwest of Iran. In this research, undrained compressive tests with the same relative densities with different effects of average effective stress and the effect of the primary static shear stress parameter on the mentioned materials under cyclic loading conditions have been used. In this study, cyclic tests were performed using the strain energy approach to evaluate the capacity energy and residual pore water pressure. The results of cyclic experiments were used to evaluate capacity energy and residual pore pressure based on the strain energy approach. Cyclic tests on the samples were performed considering the shear amplitude of 0.75% and frequency of 0.3 Hz. It is shown that the most energy dissipation occurs at the first cycle possessing the highest stiffness. For α = 0, energy density increased from 474 J/m3 to approximately 1.4 times, however, when α = 0.4, a stronger growth rate was measured from 682 J/m3 to approximately 7.5 times.
Keywords
triaxial
initial static shear stress
liquefaction
strain energy
silty soil

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 01 October 2023
  • Revise Date 15 December 2023
  • Accept Date 08 January 2024