To obtain analytical solutions for desiccation analyses of soft soil such as mine tailing slimes is difficult because of the non-linearity of the material constitutive relationships and complexity of the problem boundary conditions. Thus, it is more attractive to use of numerical models to address the desiccation phenomenon. This paper presents a numerical model for desiccation of a fine mine tailings produced by milling processes of iron ore. The modeling is based on the theory proposed by Abu-Hejleh (1993) and uses a finite difference computer code associate to that theory. This model was calibrated using field data from a previous work and results from laboratory tests. Good agreement was found between simulation results and field observations suggesting applicability of the numerical model in future designs to enhance effectiveness of the desiccation process.
desiccation; cracking; consolidation; finite difference methods; soil shrinkage
