Safety analysis of the Żelazny Most tailings pond: qualitative evaluation of the preventive measures effectiveness

• Main Authors: Łydżba Dariusz, Różański Adrian, Sobótka Maciej, Pachnicz Michał, Grosel Szczepan, Tankiewicz Matylda, Stefanek Paweł
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2021-06-01
• Series: Studia Geotechnica et Mechanica
• Subjects: tailings pond; dam safety; loading berm; relief wells
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/sgem-2021-0011

In this paper, a qualitative safety analysis of the Żelazny Most tailings pond is addressed. This object is one of the largest facilities of this type in the world being a crucial element in the technological line of copper production in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. The assessment of the effectiveness of two types of preventive measures, i.e., relief wells and loading berms, is investigated based on displacement and stability analysis of two 2D cross-sections in a technical section of the dam. The study shows that the considered preventive measures generally have a positive impact on increasing the safety level of the structure during its further raise. In particular, their effectiveness is most evident when they are applied simultaneously. It is eventually suggested that the selection of final solutions to be applied on the facility should be based on the quantitative 3D analysis.