Ferronickel slag as free-draining rockfill dike material: a novel waste solution for mining regions

Mining sites are vulnerable to erosion and siltation of rivers. While the construction of rockfill dikes can mitigate siltation, existing rockfill dikes are typically constructed with natural aggregates, whose mining, beneficiation, and transportation entail additional adverse impacts. In this paper, ferronickel slag (FNS) was investigated as a free-draining rockfill dike material to be used in nearby mining sites. A series of laboratory tests, including physical, environmental, durability, chemical and mineralogical analyzes, was executed to evaluate the engineering characteristics of this byproduct and its potential use in dikes. Results demonstrate that FNS is non-uniform with relatively low Los Angeles abrasion. Leaching and dissolution tests have not shown harm to the environment since the average concentrations of chemical elements existing in FNS were below the standard requirements. Accelerated weathering cycling tests with ethylene glycol further highlighted that the byproduct does not suffer premature disaggregation in the presence of water, thereby revealing that the material can be employed adequately under saturated condition. Findings suggest that the use of FNS in rockfill dikes represents a technically and environmentally feasible solution, while reducing the use of natural aggregates, avoiding the formation of stockpiles, preventing siltation in downstream fluvial networks and other adverse impacts.