Briefing: Static and dynamic tailings dam monitoring with accelerometers

Following the major Brazilian tailings disasters at Samarco in 2015 and Brumadinho in 2019, the National Mining Agency implemented rigorous safety ranking and monitoring procedures. This paper advocates for a transition in geotechnical practice from purely ‘slow’ static monitoring to an integrated approach using triaxial accelerometers. By capturing both tilt and dynamic signatures, engineers can identify internal structural changes – such as those preceding liquefaction – that conventional instruments often fail to detect.