Coupled Effect of Cement-to-Tailings Ratio and Solid Content on the Early Age Strength of Cemented Coarse Tailings Backfill

Determining a reasonable backfilling slurry parameters is a big challenge for mining industry. The solid content (SC) and cement-to-tailings ratio (c/t) are two main factors on mechanical properties of cemented coarse tailings backfill (CCTB). In this paper, an experimental study is conducted to investigate the effect of c/t and SC on the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of CCTB. Four kinds of curve fitting (linear, logarithmic, exponential and power) are utilized to find the quantitative relationship between the UCS of CCTB and c/t and SC. Four types of c/t values (1/4, 1/6, 1/8 and 1/10) and five kinds of SC values (63 wt%, 65 wt%, 68 wt%, 70 wt% and 72 wt%) were prepared. The relationships among c/t, SC and the UCS are discussed. As the c/t increased, the UCS of CCTB increased; while the UCS increased with the SC increased. It is shown that the UCS and corresponding c/t of CCTB is in a logarithmic function with each other. However, the relationship between the UCS and SC meets exponential distribution. The results of this study can provide significant reference for the backfill design of underground mining.