Study on the Properties of Cemented Saline Tailings Backfill

This paper deals with the properties of tailings fill cemented by two different binding agents: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and a special binding agent called High Water and Quick Setting cement (HWQS). Specific emphasis was placed upon the exploration of potential applications of saline tailings prevailing in the Goldfields region of Western Australia for mine backfill purposes. Included in this paper are the testing results of the properties of tailings fill with a range of salinity and cemented by either OPC or HWQS. Recommendations for the selection of binding agent for the design of tailings-based mine backfill are provided.