Large-scale testing of electro-osmosis with enhanced wick-drain techniques for dewatering iron mine tailing

Chiregan, Scarborough, ON, Canada

^* Corresponding author: Mahmoudipour@gmail.com

Abstract

In geotechnical engineering, two conventional methods, electro-osmosis, and wick drains (also known as prefabricated vertical drains or PVD), are commonly employed to mechanically enhance fine-grained saturated soils. This research aims to combine these two methods to develop a novel approach. Various configurations were examined, and comparisons were made between the new product and each method individually to identify the optimal configuration, pattern, and degree of improvement. Samples were collected from the thickener at the Golgohar iron ore mine and arranged into seven large-scale testing pools. Square and triangular patterns, along with constant and alternating poles, were investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that the combination of these technologies improved the mechanical properties, with the most significant enhancement in undrained shear strength observed in pools employing an enhanced Wick drain featuring constant poles and a triangular pattern.