Projetos e Sistemas de

Gestão de Barragens de
Rejeitos: uma perspectiva
mundial.

Dr. Richard Dawson, P.Eng.

Executive Vice President

April 25, 2017

“the dam safety system

applied to the oil sands
industry is the best in the
world” (Morgenstern, 2011)
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 Outline

• Roles and
Responsibilities
• Design Standards
• Technology
Development
• Risk Management
• Dam Safety Reviews

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MAC, 2011: Roles and Responsibilities

Accountable
Executive Officer Independent Tailings
Review Board
(ITRB)

TSF Qualified Engineer of Record

Person

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 Engineer of Record (EOR)

 “Is a qualified and competent engineer with

experience commensurate with the consequence
classification and complexity ”
 “Holds the professional responsibility for the facility
design and is responsible for evaluating the
adequacy of the as-built facility relative to the
design as well as applicable standards, criteria, and
guidelines”

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 Independent Tailings Review Board (ITRB)

 “Made up of independent subject

matters experts not currently
involved in or responsible for the
design, operation or construction
of the facility”
 “Provides non-binding advice and
guidance, but does not direct the
work or perform the role of the
Engineer of Record”

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 Design Standards – Factor of Safety Criteria Comparison

Brazil
Canada Australia
Phase Condition (ABNT)
(CDA) (ANCOLD)
2006
Potential Loss of
Short Containment
1.5
Term 1.5  1.3
No Potential Loss of
(EOC) Containment
1.3

Long Term (Steady State) 1.5 1.5

Rapid Drawdown 1.1 1.2 - 1.3
Critical Phreatic Level 1.3
Pseudo-Static ? 1.0
Seismic
Post Earthquake ? 1.2 1.0 – 1.2

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 Samarco Stability Design Criteria

Brazil
Phase Condition (ABNT) Comment
2006
Short Potential Loss of Containment
Term 1.5
(EOC) No Potential Loss of Containment
Existing Brazil
Long Term (Steady State) 1.5 regulatory
standard
Rapid Drawdown 1.1

Critical Phreatic Level 1.3

Pseudo-Static 1.0
Adopt CDA
Seismic
guideline
Post Earthquake/Post liquefaction* 1.2 *
* Include static liquefaction
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 Best Practices

• Best Applicable Technology Economically

Achievable – BATEA - combination of
technologies and techniques that most EXAMPLES:
effectively reduce the economic, physical,
geochemical, ecological and social risks  Filter Tailings
associated with tailings during all stages of
operation and closure.  Remote Monitoring
• Best Available/Applicable Practice – BAP -  Cone Penetration Testing
management systems and operational
procedures to ensure that tailings storage
facilities are designed, constructed, operated,
maintained, monitored and closed to support
sustainable mining practices.

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 BATEA – Filter Tailings
Lowest solids content
• Conventional Slurry Tailings

• Thickened Tailings Thickening

Continuum

• Paste Tailings

• Filtered Tailings / “Dry” Stack Highest solids content

Filter Press

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 BATEA – Tailings Technology Alternatives Evaluation

Trade off study to determine BATEA at a site in

British Columbia, Canada

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 Operational Filtered Tailings Stack
Eldorado Gold Efemcukuru Mine, Turkey

Controlled Material Placement

Transportation Spreading Compaction

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 Brasil Filter Tailings Pilot Plant and Test Plots

Thickened
slimes
Filtered
Sand
Tailings Mixture of filtered
Pile 2 slimes and sandy
tailings

Pile 1

Pile 3

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Samarco Germano Pit Filter Tailings Design

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 BAP - Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
ADVANTAGES:
• Fast and continuous profiling
• Repeatable and reliable data
• Economical and productive
• Strong theoretical basis for interpretation
• Additional sensors

LIMITATIONS:
• High capital investment
• Skilled operators
• No soil sample
• Penetration restricted in gravels/cemented layers

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 CONVENTIONAL DRILLING DIRECT-PUSH
& SAMPLING TECHNOLOGY
Lab

Oscilloscope
UD Drop
tube Hammer

Cased SCPTù
Boreholes
qt
FIRM
CHT: fs
u2
Vs, Vp
SAND t50
Vs
SPT: N60
SOFT Fast 2cm/s
Continuous
VST: su, St CLAY Repeatable
Cost effective
PMT: E’
Packer: kEXPLORE
vh old After Mayne, 2010
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| www.norwestcorp.com
 CPT Data Presentation

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Standard CPTu Plot
 CPTU for Liquefaction Evaluations

3.2H:1V

~El. 945m-952m

Key Plan

17
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 BAP - Automated Instrumentation Systems

Sensors
(Vibrating Wire Piezometer, Shape Accelerometer Array (SAA), In-Place
Inclinometer (IPI), Transducer, Tiltmeter, Strain Gauge, GPS, Radar, inSAR)

Datalogging and Telemetry

(Storage and transmission of data via networked radios, cellular or satellite
communication)

Communication
Acquisition andDevices
Analysis
(Web/Server based monitoring software, near real-time readings, alarm criteria
and alert systems, Factor of Safety (FOS) analysis)

Design and Operational Decisions

(Performance based decisions, construction sequencing)

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 Samarco Monitoring System

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BAP- Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
(InSAR)

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Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR)

SAMARCO Sela/Tulipa Dams

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 BAP – Mobile Data Collection

Intelltech is a Brazilian technology company

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 FEMA (2015) Dam
Safety Risk
Management
Framework

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Potential Failure Mode
Failure Category
Description
Large storm exasperated by a
pumping failure leading to a
rising pond level and a
subsequent breach of the dyke.
Unplanned operational rise in the
pond water leading to a rising
pond level and a subsequent
breach of the dyke.
Failure of the TT containment
Dyke Fails by
dykes leading to a wave or flow
Overtopping
event which subsequently
(Reservoir Goes overtops the perimeter dyke.
Up)
Failure of the BBW leading to a
wave or flow event which
subsequently overtops the
perimeter dyke.
Liquefaction of the beach leading
to flow slides and failure of the

Identify “credible” failure modes
dyke.
 Provide complete descriptions of each failure mode including the initiating event and
sequence of steps leading to an uncontrolled release from the impoundment

Describe the magnitude of the breach
Undrained shear failure through West Dyke (P5 -
shallow weak layers in the P9), East Dyke
foundation (Hl/Pl clays).
Potential Failure Modes Analysis
Controlling
Positive Factors
Areas
• Freeboard exceeds the incident PMP by a factor of 5.
• Recycle water barges are in place.
All areas. • Very slow increase with sufficient time to implement
mitigations.
• Control of the fresh water intake.
• TT containment is hundreds of meters away from the
perimeter dyke.
• The EETA is planned as a "dry" facility.
EETA • Deposit characteristics limit the mobility.
• Beaching from the perimeter dykes means that any TT
released from the TT containment dykes will have to
overcome a positive beach slope for some distance, as well as
the perimeter dyke freeboard.
• BBW has slumped without consequence.
• TSRU is strong (30 degrees) and compressible.
• Freeboard of 3 m.
WETA
• TSRU feed goes in-pit when storage space is available.
• Current beach above water widths are greater than the
minimum. 50 m of beach above water is added to the
structural zone by Operations as a form of contingency.
• CPT programs demonstrate BAW is dilative for the rate of
rise used to date.
• Industry experience demonstrates that the BAW is typically • BBW liquefaction has been observed in oil sands tailings
dilative.
All areas.
• Beach construction follows a method specification.
• The design governs the rate of rise.
• Shallow (8H:1V) slopes at design controlling sections.
• Performance has been within expectations.
• Foundation materials get stronger with time.
• Construction pore water pressures dissipate rapidly.
• Undrained strength is considered in design.
(P35 - P38)
• Foundation conditions are well characterized.
• An appropriate level of conservatism has been incorporated • EETA - Cell construction practices lead to elevated shear
into the design. WETA - Wick drains to relieve construction
EXPLORE
"Robust Parameters" were used in the design as mitigation
involves relocating infrastructure.
pore water pressure for West Starter Dyke construction. EETA -
Warning Time
Adverse Factor (hours, days, Barriers/Controls Hazard Category Recommendations and Comments
weeks)
• Closed water management system. • Containment structure with generous • There are no recommendations or comments at
freeboard. this time.
• Ultimate containment for all site water. • Specific procedures are in place to
Weeks manage a rising pond condition (OMS). IV
• TT dykes will be higher than the surrounding perimeter • Continuous monitoring. • Per the CP16 plan CST beach is built in advance of
structure for a period of time. the TSRU deposit, and therefore, this scenario is
unlikely given the current plan.
• Characteristics are not well known.
• Evaluate critical failure mechanisms.
• Tailings plans are subject to change. Hours IV
• Steep (30 degrees)TSRU BBW slopes. • Continuous monitoring. • Operational risks (non-breach) for TSRU BBW
need to be assessed.
• Removal of FFT supporting the TSRU BBW from the pond for
use in TT. • Although this failure mode could develop
quickly, the potential risk for an overtopping event
Hours IV is considered negligible.
• Liquefaction occurs very rapidly and cannot be managed • Beach surveillance program is in place • Liquefaction potential of the BAW relies on the
with the observational method. to measure and confirm the design rate of rise.
minimum BAW.
• Failure method occurs rapidly and observational
facilities. • Procedures in place to control the method cannot be relied upon.
placement of the beach and promote
Hours II
• Potential to deviate from past placement methods. drainage. • Verify that method specification is being
• Tailings feed is variable.
followed.
• BBW is assigned an undrained shear strength.
• Potential for the method specification to be applied
inconsistently.
• Limited mitigation options due to physical constraints
(space).
• Pore water pressure and inclinometer
monitoring system.
• Revise the monitoring thresholds.
• WETA - Up to 280 mm of displacement has been measured in
the shallow foundation (P7).
• Rate of rise is limited to 10 m per year
(OMS).
• Perform stress strain analysis.
• WETA - Hl and Pl clays have the potential to generate high • EETA - Potential for a toe berm.
excess pore pressures during undrained shear (i.e. contractive
behavior).
• EETA - Up to 160 mm of displacement has been measured in
Days II
the shallow foundation (P35) on the first lift of the starter
dyke.
stress beneath the starter dyke.
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 Risk Analysis Techniques

Some examples:
• Failure Modes and Effects
Analysis (FMEA)
• Bow Tie Analysis
• Event Trees
• Fault Trees
• Reliability Analysis
• Consequential Risk
Analysis
• Subjective methods
• Vulnerability Index

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 Dam Safety Risk Controls

• Dam Safety Management System (MAC

Guidelines)
• Operating Plans and Procedures
• Maintenance and Testing of Critical
Equipment
• Surveillance Plans
• Performance Evaluation/Observational
Method
• Mitigation/Repair
• Emergency Management

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Risk Informed vs Risk Based Dam Safety Decisions

FEMA, 2015:

 “Risk informed dam safety decision

making implies that decisions are
made considering risk estimates and
many other contributing factors that
might include confidence in the risk
estimates, risk uncertainty,
deterministic analyses, and the
overall dam safety case in addition to
other local or regional
considerations”

 “Risk based dam safety decision

making implies that a comparison of
a risk estimate to risk criteria is the
basis for decision making”

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 Dam Safety Reviews

“A dam safety review is part of the

dam safety management system that
has the overall goal to protect
people, property and the environment
from harmful effects of misoperation
or failure of dams and reservoirs.”

Companion CDA references:

 CDA (2007, 2013); Dam Safety

Guidelines
 CDA (2014) Technical Bulletin –
Guidelines to Mining Dams

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 Types of Dam Safety Reviews

 Audit type

 Comprehensive

 Detailed Design-based Multi-

disciplinary

 Comprehensive and Detailed

Design and Performance Review

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 Deficiencies and Non-conformances (CDA, 2016)

 A dam safety “deficiency” is an inadequacy or uncertainty in

the inadequacy of the dam system to meet its performance
goals in accordance with good dam safety practices
 A dam safety “non-conformance” is an inadequacy in the non-
physical controls (procedures, processes and management
systems) necessary to maintain the safety of the dam

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APEGBC Dam Safety Assurance Statement – Mining Dams

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 Key Messages – Governance

 Well defined roles, responsibilities and

accountabilies for key positions (ex. Engineer of
Record)
 Formal independent review requirements with
Independent Tailings Review Boards (ITRB) reporting
to senior management.

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 Key Messages – Best Practices

BATEA
 Rapid development of tailings dewatering processes. Technology sharing
occurs at international conferences and workshop (ex. Paste conference,
Tailings and Mine Waste conference) and with expert review. Each site is
unique and alternative assessments are required.
BAP
 Performance management and the observational method
 CPTU is the “standard” for evaluating tailings deposits
 Remote monitoring technologies and systems
 Mining Association of Canada (MAC) tailings guides

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 Key Messages – Process

 Systems based approach ….. Mining Association of Canada (MAC)

Guidelines
 Dam Safety Reviews
 Risk Management:
o Failure Modes Identification and Risk Control are critical to the process. Need
to get it right….experience required
o Quantitative Risk Assessment is not exact…..serves to calibrate judgement
o Very High and Catastrophic failure modes dominated by the consequence of
failure …..unless the mechanism can be virtually eliminated as non-credible

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