Paste and thickened tailings (P&TT) technology has important advantages not only from the safety point of view, but especially from the environmental point of view. The objective of this paper is to prove that this technology is a real sustainable alternative that can be evaluated using life-cycle analysis (LCA) methodology. P&TT has emerged in recent years as an alternative for the treatment and disposal of mine waste. It involves thickening the tailings (a mix of process water and waste solids obtained after the process of separating the gangue of an ore) to a higher solid content, recovering the water, and recycling it back to the process. The volume of the final waste once it has been thickened is smaller and requires less storage capacity. Conventional tailings disposal has some important disadvantages such as poor water recovery, high volume storage requirements, the need for containment structures like basins or dams (which can present stability and safety issues), and lower rehabilitation potential. Thickening technologies applied to tailings, in order to reach solid concentrations over 50%, are a real alternative to traditional disposal techniques. Scarcity of water and increasing demand for higher recycling rates can be partially solved, pollution and seepage problems are avoided, smaller containment facilities are required, and footprint is reduced due to smaller land needs, even allowing partial rehabilitation while the mine is still under operation.
Nowadays, the industry produces an enormous amount of solid waste that has very negative environmental effects. Owing to waste variety and its scattered sites of production, selecting the most proper solid waste treatment is difficult. Simultaneously, social concern about environmental sustainability rises every day and, as a consequence, improvement on waste treatment systems is being demanded. However, when a waste treatment system is being designed, not only environmental but also technical and economic issues should be considered. This article puts forward a methodology to provide industrial factories with an easy way to identify, evaluate and select the most suitable solid waste treatment.
With the increasing construction activities in dry or degraded lands affected by wind-driven particle action, the deterioration of metal structures in such environments becomes a pressing concern. In the design and maintenance of outdoor metal structures, the emphasis has mainly been on preventing corrosion, while giving less consideration to abrasion. However, the importance of abrasion, which is closely linked to the terrain, should not be underestimated. It holds significance in two key aspects: supporting the attainment of sustainable development goals and assisting in soil planning. This study aims to address this issue by developing a predictive model that assesses potential material loss in these terrains, utilizing a combination of the literature case studies and experimental data. The methodology involves a comprehensive literature analysis, data collection from direct impact tests, and the implementation of a machine learning algorithm using multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) as the predictive model. The experimental data are then validated and cross-verified, resulting in an accuracy rate of 98% with a relative error below 15%. This achievement serves two primary objectives: providing valuable insights for anticipating material loss in new structure designs based on prospective soil conditions and enabling effective maintenance of existing structures, ultimately promoting resilience and sustainability.
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