Physical and numerical modeling of the hypothetical tailings dam breach runout and mitigation with a slurry-resisting barrier

The potential breach of the tailings dams has caused the loss of many lives, considerable property damage, and irreversible pollution in downstream areas. Therefore, understanding the after-breach processes is a crucial step when performing a hazard analysis and response planning. In this investigation, the Yangtianqing tailings pond with possible fatality as a result of this dam failure might be classified as extreme failure consequence classification and was selected as a case study. Model tests and the corresponding numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the potential consequence of the runout of the tailings with respect to the hypothetical tailings dam breach. The results demonstrate the high risks of this typical “overhead tailings pond.” Downstream communities and other important facilities can be submerged in an extremely short period of time, thus, leaving very limited time to evacuate the residents and conduct a further emergency response. The potentially destructive power of the tailings slurry was emphasized by the high flow depth, impact force, and velocity of the tailings slurry that was 800 m downstream where the communities were located. A slurry-resisting barrier dam is proposed as a form of mitigation to protect the communities. The barrier dam can effectively reduce the mobility of the runout slurry. The results can serve as evidence for disaster mitigation and emergency management plan optimization.