TITLE:
Impact Containment Barriers with Geotextile Tubes
AUTHORS:
Flávio da Silva Ornelas, Luís Fernando Martins Ribeiro, Rafael Cerqueira Silva
KEYWORDS:
Geotextile Tube, Debris Flow, Barriers, Impact, Mining
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
31,
2024
ABSTRACT: Recently, tragic tailings dam collapses in Brazil have caused deaths and major destruction and the need to develop technologies capable of preventing damage to people and the environment. Brazilian tailings dams are in a situation of uncertainty due to new legislation that even requires decommissioning, an activity that involves many problems and where the risk of failure is the main one. An impact containment structure downstream of these dams can be effective and geotextile tubes, in a new approach, have emerged as an option with advantages in terms of execution, costs and safety. The technology is versatile and can bring many benefits such as the reuse of tailings or filling with low-energy or reused materials. In this research, geotextile tubes were tested as free containment barriers, experiencing impacts in reduced models. The safety factor for the stability of the structure was constructed using an equation which is the ratio between the self-weight of the barrier structure and its coefficient of static friction and the impact pressure, where the data showed an adequate correlation which suggests the viability of mitigating risks.