While tailings ponds are notable sources of environmental pollution in mining operations, they also offer considerable potential for development. Advancing the safe mining and secondary utilization of tailings resources not only mitigates the safety and environmental challenges associated with tailings ponds but also significantly contributes to the sustainable development of mining activities. To examine the impact of seepage-stress coupling on the stability of tailings ponds during reclamation, the interaction between the seepage field and the stress field was analyzed, leading to the construction of a seepage-stress coupling analysis model for tailings ponds. Utilizing COMSOL multiphysics simulation software, a two-dimensional model of the tailings dam was developed. By integrating the seepage-stress coupling theory with the strength reduction method, the study systematically investigated the seepage patterns, stress variations, deformation characteristics, and stability evolution of the tailings dam throughout the stoping process. Through numerical simulations, variations in pore water pressure, von Mises stress, shear stress, overall displacement, equivalent plastic strain, and safety factor of the tailings dam were evaluated across six stoping scenarios: 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 230 m. The findings indicate that under the influence of seepage-stress coupling, the reclamation of the tailings pond results in a reduction in the length of the dry beach, while pore water pressure, von Mises stress, and maximum shear stress increase. Consequently, there is a gradual rise in the overall displacement and equivalent plastic strain of the tailings dam, accompanied by a decrease in the safety factor and a declining trend in the stability of the tailings pond. Nonetheless, the safety factor throughout the reclamation process remains within regulatory standards, ensuring that, under conditions of safe production management, the dam can function normally. These findings provide a significant theoretical foundation and engineering technical reference for the safe reclamation of tailings ponds.
尾矿坝稳定性是矿山企业十分关注的问题,国内外学者从静力稳定性、动力稳定性及渗流稳定性等多个方面对其开展研究(杨春和等,2021;许云美等,2023;朱远乐等,2024)。静力稳定性主要研究在尾矿坝自重、堆积荷载等静力条件下,尾矿材料的物理力学性质、坝体结构特征等因素对尾矿坝稳定性的影响(杨春和等,2022);动力稳定性则研究尾矿坝在面临地震和爆破振动等动力荷载冲击时的稳定性特征(王文松等,2018;李生伟等,2023)。其中,尾矿坝渗流稳定性一直是研究的一个难点,学者们通过室内渗流试验、现场监测以及数值模拟等方法对尾矿坝内渗流场的分布进行分析,研究渗流对坝体稳定性的作用机制,为制定合理的排水减压措施提供科学依据(吴高杰等,2022;Du et al,2024;梁冰等,2025)。在尾矿坝渗流稳定性研究基础上,许多学者开始考虑多场耦合作用对尾矿坝稳定性的影响,并利用数值模拟软件建立尾矿坝多场耦合数值模型,研究尾矿坝在渗流—应力耦合(邓红卫等,2016;Popescu et al,2024)、流—固—化耦合(樊嘉庆,2020)以及热—流—固耦合(李向阳等,2022)作用下的稳定性,分析库水位、化学腐蚀、降雨强度和温度等因素对尾矿坝稳定性的影响规律,为尾矿坝的稳定性分析及后期管理提供理论支持。
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