Electrolysis: An Innovative Technique to Desaturate Tailings

Abstract

Within the entire range of failure modes that have occurred at tailings impoundments, static and dynamic liquefaction are likely the most common. Static liquefaction can be a result of slope instability issues alone or can be triggered as a result of other mechanisms, dynamic liquefaction may be triggered by rapid forms of cyclic loadings, such as earthquakes. Several techniques, that have the aim to prevent this kind of failure, have been developed during the last centuries. In this paper, the attention will be focused on desaturation and on electrolysis as an innovative technique to desaturate the soils.