The geotechnical analysis in the design and risk control at heap leaching pads
Bar N. Zlobin G.A.
2025Ore and Metals Publishing house
Gornyi Zhurnal
2025#2025Issue 1108 - 115 pp.
The short-term and long-term stability of dumps, stock piles and heap leaching pads depends on the terrain and structure of bases, characteristics of piled materials, size and geometry of a structure, and on regional conditions, including seismicity and rainfall amount. The heap leaching pad at the Aktogay deposit in South-Eastern Kazakhstan was designed and is being constructed in favorable geotechnical conditions, with relatively flat base and at a good quality of the material being piled. The article reports the geotechnical analysis of the heap leaching pad during construction of additional levels in order to extract extra ore reserves. The geological-and-engineering appraisal made it possible to determine possibility of heightening of the heap leaching pad by piling two additional levels, and revealed feasibility of making the pile even higher (given additional research would be performed). The article offers a brief description of the field research at the early stage of construction, and the geotechnical modeling implemented on that basis. The slope stability assessment and disclosure of potential geotechnical risks combined 2D and 3D modeling (methods of limit equilibrium and finite elements). It is found out that 3D modeling detects deformation mechanisms, differing from 2D modeling results, at the lower values of the stability factor. The influence of the base steepness on the slope stability of the heap leaching pad is estimated. The study also describes the satellite monitoring data on slope stability.
3D stability analysis of slopes , Aktogay , geotechnical modeling , heap leaching pad , satellite monitoring
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Gecko Geotechnics, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Geotechnical Engineering Department, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Gecko Geotechnics
Geotechnical Engineering Department
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