Failure mechanism and damage constitutive model of cemented tailings backfill with different cement-tailings ratios under uniaxial compression

Abstract

Cemented tailings backfill (CTB) is a crucial support material for ensuring the long-term stability of underground goafs. A comprehensive understanding of its compressive mechanical behavior is essential for improving engineering safety. Although extensive studies have been conducted on the uniaxial compressive properties of CTB, damage constitutive models that effectively capture its damage evolution process remain underdeveloped, and its failure mechanisms are not yet fully clarified. To address these gaps, this study conducted systematic uniaxial compression tests on CTB specimens prepared with varying cement-tailings ratios. The results revealed distinct compaction and softening phases in the stress – strain curves. A lower cement-to-tailings ratio significantly reduced the strength and deformation resistance of CTB, along with a decrease in elastic energy accumulation at peak stress and dissipation energy in the post-peak stage. Based on these findings, a modified damage constitutive model was developed by introducing a correction factor, enabling accurate simulation of the entire uniaxial compression process of CTB with different cement-tailings ratios. Comparative analysis with classical constitutive models validated the proposed model’s accuracy and applicability in describing the compressive behavior of CTB. Furthermore, particle size distribution and acoustic emission tests were employed to investigate the influence of cement-tailings ratio on failure mechanisms. The results indicated that a lower cement-tailings ratio leads to coarser particle sizes, which intensify shear-related acoustic emission signals and ultimately result in more pronounced macroscopic shear failure. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the optimal design of CTB mix ratios.

Keywords

filling mining / cement-tailings ratio / uniaxial compression / damage constitutive model / failure mechanism

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