Securing tailings dam infrastructure with an innovative monitoring system
Researchers: Xavi Masip, Ester Simó, Francesc Aguiló, Anirudda Sarkar
Duration of the Project: from 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2025
Consortium: ArcelorMittal Innovación, Investigación e Inversión, S.L.Fondazione Bruno Kessler, GEOTEKO Serwis Sp. z o.o., KGHM Cuprum sp. z o.o. Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowe, National Technical University of Athens, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Worldsensing SL
Today, securing mine sites is a challenging task due to the complexity of the infrastructure, the varietyof physical and digital components, the distribution of assets and machineries and the large number ofstakeholders involved. In recent years, mining operators have adopted digital components (ICT) butstill use archaic/manual processes to collect and process the data, thus making the protection of themining critical assets a costly and highly complex problem. In this context, one of the most sensitivephysical assets to be secured to guarantee mines infrastructure safety is Tailings Storage Facilities(TSFs). Historically, there are about 20 TSFs failures per decade, showing a tendency to shift fromdeveloped countries to developing countries and – in the last years – a few of them generated atendency to mistrust the mining sector. The aim of SEC4TD is to implement an evolutive monitoringand responsive risk management system for TSFs based on the combination of 3 products: moreaccurate Internet of Things technology, automatic mathematical model calculation to continuallymonitor the structural/geotechnical aspects of TSF and a portfolio of innovative applications to supportthe decision-making. The SEC4TD will provide benefits to mining sector by improving the safety,efficacy and environment impact of the current mining processes and will also protect the reputation ofthis sector as well as will facilitate the compliance with new stricter regulations.
More information at https://sec4td.fbk.eu/home