Technical Session 2.3C - Site Investigations
Abstract
Numerous correlations have been proposed to estimate shear wave velocity (𝑉𝑠) from Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data, but these were primarily developed for natural clayey soils. Hence, their applicability to mine tailings remains uncertain due to the distinct depositional and microstructural characteristics of these materials. Morales et al. (2024) evaluated four widely used CPT-based correlations using 10 CPTs conducted in tailings impoundments, concluding that the fit was reasonable.
This study expands that analysis by incorporating over 30 CPT datasets from multiple tailings facilities and optimizing the fitting parameters of each empirical equation. The objective is to improve 𝑉𝑠 estimation in tailings, particularly where seismic piezocone data are unavailable—which is common in deep tailings dams or filtered tailings facilities, where generating sufficient shear wave energy below 30 m is challenging. The influence of soil saturation and microstructure (e.g., cementation) on 𝑉𝑠 prediction accuracy is also assessed.
Results show that saturation significantly affects correlation performance, with all methods performing better under saturated conditions. Baldi et al. (1989) remains the most robust correlation across conditions, especially in cemented or microstructured soils. While optimization improves some methodologies—notably Paredes and Illingworth (2022)—site-specific calibration remains critical. This work contributes to improving 𝑉𝑠 prediction in tailings and highlights key factors affecting the reliability of CPT-based correlations in these complex geomaterials.
Authors
- Camilo Morales, Senior Geotechnical Engineer | SRK Santiago
- José Masihy, Geotechnical Consultant | SRK Santiago
- Andres Gavidia, Geotechnical Consultant | SRK Santiago
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