Environmental: The Upside of Failure Session | Room 255D
Constructed landform designs for post-mining landscapes seek to establish rates of erosion comparable to those of natural landforms in similar watersheds and climate. Design of surface water conveyance systems for a constructed landform considers drainage density, i.e., the number of drainage “lines” per unit area. Drainage density may be minimized in an effort to minimize flow concentration or simulated based on the number of drainage lines in natural analog. This paper examines observed failures with design elements under both approaches. These failure narratives provide insight to design methodology, technical trade-offs and implementation risks. The erosional failure of a minimum drainage density design occurred on reclaimed outslope of a closed copper tailings facility in the arid southwest U.S. The failure consequence was unplanned and extended maintenance of the erosion-resistant soil-rock cover system near the upper reach of the embankment. The erosional failure of a moderate drainage density design involved overland flow into a concrete lined channel. In this case, surface water preferentially bypassed the channel.
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