Effects of iron content due to the segregation pattern upon the strength parameters of iron ore wastes

The hydraulic fill technique is a common process used for waste disposal. According to this technique, the waste is placed randomly and a complex segregation pattern occurs due to the hydraulic parameters and the waste characteristics. The deposit behaviour is influenced by discharge parameters, presenting some heterogeneity that changes its geotechnical parameters. This research aims at studying the tailings behaviour regarding of the iron content and verifying the changes in the strength parameters. In order to verify the iron particle influence upon the tailings friction angle, some triaxial tests were carried out in samples with distinct iron content. The samples were collected from the hydraulic deposition simulation tests according with its distance to the discharge point. Through the obtained results, it was observed the relation among the hydraulic deposition variables and strength parameters considering the grain size distribution, densities and iron content The most important aspect was the influence of the hydraulic segregation on the whole geotechnical behaviour of the iron tailing deposits, where the hydraulic selection is not only defined by size, but essentially influenced by iron particle weight.