Control de compactación con penetrómetro ligero en tranques de relaves, considerando su variabilidad material y estructural

NO-ABSTRACTIn Volume 6 N°2 (2007) of this Journal, an article on the results of studies carried out in Chile on the use of a new PANDA penetrometer (Pénétromètre Autonome Numérique Dynamique Assisté) for controlling compaction at different tailings dams of the copper mining industry in Chile was presented. In the article, the economic advantages and ease of operation were emphasized, which consequently provides new perspectives on the variability of geotechnical properties of such materials. In this article, a new methodology for the compaction control of tailing dams using the PANDA penetrometer is presented, which considers both the material and structural variability of these deposits. The use of this tool allows determination in situ of the compaction state and the deposited layer thickness, which are key factors for the evaluation of the mechanical instability risk. This is especially important for the seismically induced liquefaction phenomenon and slope instability, which represents the most common fault mechanisms observed in highly seismic countries, such as Chile.