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Issue 1,2026
Original Article

Effect of mine tailings particle size and curing temperature on the strength evolution and rheology of cemented paste backfill: A case study

Mehrdad Kermani; Fatemeh Tavanai; Ferri Hassani

This paper investigates the influence of mine tailings particle size and curing temperature on the rheological properties and strength development of cemented paste backfill (CPB). Laboratory experiments were conducted on CPB to evaluate their physical and mechanical behavior. A series of CPB samples with different mixture designs were prepared and cured for 28 days. The effect of curing temperature and particle size on mechanical properties was assessed using uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests. In addition, the influence of curing temperature (ranging from 5 °C to 50 °C) on CPB samples was studied through UCS testing. The microstructure of selected specimens was further analyzed using the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) technique. The results indicate that: (i) the mechanical performance of CPB can be enhanced by reducing the proportion of fine particles in the tailings; (ii) the rate of strength gain increases with decreasing particle size, samples exhibiting faster strength development than CPB samples over the 28-day curing period; (iii) curing temperature has a significant impact on both the mechanical and microstructural properties of CPB; (iv) microstructural analysis revealed that reducing fine particles modifies pore size distribution and decreases overall porosity, thereby improving the mechanical behavior of CPB; and (v) MIP results showed that the reduction of particle size altered the microstructure, leading to a higher proportion of fine pores in CPB.

Issue 1 ,2026 ;
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Hybrid intelligent model for strength prediction and parameter sensitivity analysis of cemented paste backfill

Yuxin Li; Jinping Guo; Chao Zhang; Xiaolin Wang; Lijie Guo

To address the persistent challenge of accurately predicting the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of cemented paste backfill (CPB) in underground mining, this study developed a hybrid intelligent model integrating quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) with a fully connected neural network (FCNN). A comprehensive database comprising 383 laboratory test samples was compiled, encompassing eight input variables: coefficient of uniformity (Cu), chemical composition (CaO and MgO), cement type (CT), tailings-to-cement (T/C) ratio, slurry mass concentration (MC), curing temperature (Temp), and curing time (Time). The QPSO algorithm was employed to perform a global optimization of critical hyperparameters, including hidden nodes, learning rate, regularization coefficient, dropout rate, and batch size. Subsequently, the Adam optimizer was applied for deterministic fine-tuning of network weights, yielding concurrent enhancements in convergence efficiency and predictive accuracy. Furthermore, SHAP, ±10% perturbation analysis, and partial dependence plots (PDPs) were utilized to quantitatively evaluate the global importance, local marginal effects, and interactive sensitivities of input parameters. The proposed QPSO-FCNN model exhibited outstanding predictive performance, achieving an R² of 0.969, RMSE of 0.198 MPa, mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.139 MPa, and a composite performance score (CPS) of 0.930, surpassing both conventional FCNN and QPSO-BPNN hybrid models. Sensitivity analysis revealed that T/C and Time were the most influential factors, while pronounced coupling effects occurred between Cu and MC, as well as between curing conditions and T/C. These results provide robust quantitative insights for optimizing the mix design and curing regimes of CPB, thereby enhancing its mechanical reliability in underground mining operations.

Issue 1 ,2026 ;
[Downloads: 0 ] [Citations: 0 ] [Reads: 11 ] PDF Cite this article
Original Article

Drift-and-fill mining under cemented paste backfill for sill pillar recovery at Olympias mine

Eirini Psychari; Ourania Mousli; Dimosthenis Koskiniotis; Mehmet Yumlu

At Olympias Underground Mine, drift-and-fill mining under the cemented paste backfill is required for the safe and effective recovery of sill pillars within complex geology and variable ground conditions. Cured cemented paste backfill provides critical confinement to the surrounding rock, enabling controlled blasting and reducing the risk of instability during mining. This case study reviews operational practices and design considerations specific to Olympias Mine, including geomechanics and geotechnical aspects of mining with paste backfill, paste fill strength requirements and quality control, curing times, blast sequencing, and the integration of ground support systems.

Issue 1 ,2026 ;
[Downloads: 3 ] [Citations: 0 ] [Reads: 7 ] PDF Cite this article
Original Article

Effect of different waste rock in-site dumping strategies on the permeability performance of waste rock and cemented tailings co-backfilling for a high iron mine stope

Yong Wang; Jian Li; Xianhui Feng; Defeng Wang; Aixiang Wu

Waste rock and tailings represent the primary solid wastes generated in metal mining. Underground co-backfilling with waste rock and cemented tailings offers an effective approach for the large-scale utilization of these materials. However, quantitative methods for characterizing the permeability and compactness of such composite backfill systems remain limited. In this study, semi-industrial surface experiments were conducted using a self-developed experimental device combined with infrared imaging technology. Three dumping sequences—waste rock followed by slurry, slurry followed by waste rock, and simultaneous dumping—and three accumulation angles of waste rock (90°, 60°, and 30°) were investigated. The compactness of the co-backfill and the permeability of cemented tailings slurry within waste rock voids were quantitatively analyzed. Results show that simultaneous dumping yields the highest compaction, although practical constraints may limit its application. Therefore, a sequence of slurry dumping followed by waste rock, at a volume ratio of 3:2, is recommended. Moreover, the inclination angle of waste rock piles was found to be positively correlated with slurry penetration. A quantitative relationship between slurry permeability and the contact surface area was established, expressed as the penetration volume per unit area, with values of 0.185 m³/m² and 0.107 m³/m² depending on whether the pile base was in contact with the stope boundary. Based on these findings, a co-backfilling strategy for high stopes in iron mines is proposed, providing a technical basis for the efficient utilization of mine waste through integrated waste rock-tailings backfilling.

Issue 1 ,2026 ;
[Downloads: 0 ] [Citations: 0 ] [Reads: 13 ] PDF Cite this article
Original Article

Experimental validation of analytical solutions for estimating the minimum required strength of side-exposed backfill in underground mines

Islem Titey; Li Li

In underground mining with backfill, it is essential to evaluate the minimum required strength of side-exposed backfill. An analytical solution proposed by Mitchell and coworkers in 1982 is largely used. Since 2012, Li and coworkers have published several improved solutions, accounting for several limitations in the Mitchell 1982 model. However, the improved solutions have not fully been validated by experimental results. Experimental work is necessary. As such, box instability tests were performed using an uncemented paste backfill under undrained conditions with a high aspect ratio stope. The unconfined compressive strength of the backfill was measured. Comparisons between experimental results and analytical results were made. A part of the experimental results was used to obtain the missing parameters through calibration. The other part of experimental results was then used to test the predictive capability of the calibrated analytical solutions. The results show that the improved analytical solutions provide a better agreement with the experimental results than the original Mitchell solution, at least for short-term stability of side-exposed backfill submitted to quasi-unconsolidated and undrained conditions. More experimental works are necessary to test the validity of the improved solutions under wider conditions.

Issue 1 ,2026 ;
[Downloads: 0 ] [Citations: 0 ] [Reads: 7 ] PDF Cite this article
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