Seismic Resilience in Tailings Facility Design

In the mining and infrastructure sectors, tailings facility safety is no longer judged only by construction quality or operational control, it is now deeply tied to how well a structure can perform during seismic events.

Even in regions considered low to moderate seismic zones, the effects of vibration, ground shaking, and liquefaction can pose serious risks to tailings dams, their foundations, and the surrounding environment.

Building seismic resilience begins long before construction, it starts with understanding the ground.

1. The Hidden Risk Beneath: Why Seismic Design Matters

A Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) is a complex geotechnical system, and its performance during an earthquake depends on several interconnected factors:

• The strength and saturation of tailings material.

• The stability of the foundation and embankment slopes.

• The pore pressure response of the soil under cyclic loading.

• The drainage and dissipation capacity of the deposited materials.

If these elements are not properly accounted for, the dam may experience deformation, cracking, or, in worst cases, structural failure.

2. Geotechnical Principles of Seismic Resilience

Seismic design in TSF engineering involves both analysis and adaptation.

Key considerations include:

• Liquefaction analysis: Using field data (like CPTU and SPT results) to evaluate soil susceptibility to loss of strength during shaking.

• Dynamic stability analysis: Assessing how the dam behaves under cyclic stresses and strain levels.

• Drainage and reinforcement design: Installing drainage filters, berms, and buttresses to control pore pressure and deformation.

• Material selection: Choosing well-compacted, low-plasticity fill materials that resist cyclic degradation.

These measures help ensure that the dam remains stable and functional, even after moderate to strong seismic activity.

3. Global Standards and African Context

International standards, such as the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), emphasize the need for site-specific seismic assessments.

In the African context, many regions were historically considered seismically inactive. However, recent studies have shown that areas near rift valleys, fault zones, or mining-induced vibrations can experience localized seismic effects.

This underscores the importance of site-specific seismic hazard assessments, even where perceived risk is low.

By integrating seismic data early in the design phase, engineers can adopt safer geometries, improved drainage, and real-time monitoring to enhance resilience.

4. AES’s Approach to Seismic-Resilient TSF Design

At African Engineering Services (AES), seismic resilience is embedded in our geotechnical design philosophy.Our process combines:

• CPTU-based liquefaction assessment to evaluate soil response.

• Dynamic stability modeling for dam slopes and embankments.

• Instrumentation and monitoring to detect settlement or deformation trends.

• Compliance with GISTM and local standards to ensure operational and environmental safety.

Whether in moderate or low seismic zones, our designs aim to ensure structural integrity, environmental protection, and long-term stability.

5. Looking Ahead: Designing for the Unexpected

Seismic resilience is not only about surviving an earthquake, it is about ensuring that operations, ecosystems, and communities remain safe in the aftermath.

With the increasing recognition of seismic risk across Africa’s mining regions, the industry must transition from reactive to predictive and adaptive design practices.

Because in tailings management, safety is not optional, it is engineered.