Uncovering the technical challenges of paste, filtered tailings, and mine backfill

August 11, 2022

Remote-monitoring equipment is used for near-real-time geotechnical monitoring.

Whether you’re looking for maximum water recovery, increased tailings strength, or quality backfill for underground mining, Barr can find solutions that meet the needs of your entire site. Effective tailings management requires integrated geotechnical, water resources, civil, environmental, and processing expertise. This holistic design approach sets Barr apart: We can assist our clients with all project phases and disciplines, all in-house.

Effective tailings management requires integrated geotechnical, water resources, civil, environmental, and processing expertise. This holistic design approach sets Barr apart.

Drawing upon our experience serving clients in this area for the last 50 years, Barr offers a high level of expertise across virtually all aspects of tailings management. Our capabilities include expanded services in paste, filtered tailings, and underground mine backfill to better serve our clients.

The benefits of tailings dewatering center on increased tailings strength and a reduction in the volume of stored water. Use of tailings as mine backfill reduces surface-storage requirements and allows for beneficial tailings reuse. Barr specializes in finding solutions to the technical challenges presented by implementation of paste, filtered tailings, and mine backfill such as pumping of high-yield stress tailings and adaptive control systems that maintain constant ratio control in a variable environment.

Our tailings management services include:

Alternative analyses and feasibility studies
Cost estimating and economic analyses
Environmental impact assessments and permitting
Water balances, hydrology, and hydraulics
Rheology and tailings characterization
Thickening and filtration estimating and analysis
Sediment transport evaluations, delta slope estimating, and deposition studies and designs
Tailings pumping and piping system design
Tailings impoundment dam design
Fluid fine tailings management
Filtered tailings storage facility design
Construction management, startup, and operations assistance
Mine backfilling
Conveyor design
Emergency action plan development
Dam break and runout analyses
Closure and reclamation

Related projects

Above-ground tailings management and mine backfill

With a plan to implement above-ground tailings storage and underground mine backfill as part of a proposed potash extraction project, a confidential mining client retained Barr to review alternatives and provide feedback on the above-ground tailings storage design.

Potash mine tailings