Dewatering of Tailings Using Electrokinetic Geosynthetics (EKG)

Many tailings disposal facilities present stability and environmental contamination risks yet currently the technology available to dewater these materials means that it is too expensive to contemplate for all but the most severe risk scenarios. Electrokinetics represent powerful but relatively under utilised process for ground improvement offering the potential to treat these extremely wet, low strength materials either in-situ or prior to placement. The concept of EKG is the combination of electrokinetic phenomena with the various functions of geosynthetics, greatly reducing the technological barriers to the application of electrokinetics in practice. This paper will present results from a series of laboratory trials and a prototype site trial that conclude that electro-kinetic treatment offers a potential solution to in-situ dewatering of tailings lagoons.