Mechanical Behaviour of Pond ash Tailings Before and After Biochemical Stabilization

Abstract Tailing dam failures, occurring 100 times more frequently than conventional dams (1.2% failure rate), are a global concern, causing waste spillage with adverse economic, environmental, and ecological impacts. This study enhances pond ash mechanical properties using bio-chemical methods: Enzymatic Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) with urease and geopolymerization (Chemical) with sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. Mohr-Coulomb and Hypoplastic models evaluated untreated and modified tailings’ mechanical behaviour. Both methods stabilize pond ash against Static Liquefaction. However, models fail to accurately represent modified materials due to biochemical alterations, necessitating advanced modeling techniques post-bio-chemical modifications.