Remote monitoring of a tailings dam using the Internet of Things

Abstract

Due to their size and often their remoteness, large geotechnical structures such as tailings dams are ideally suited to be observed using smart monitoring technologies. With the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution – and in a year characterised by unprecedented disruption and uncertainty impacting physical access for monitoring purposes – adoption of state-of-the-art Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for remote monitoring applications provides a unique, real-time view into the behaviour of these structures. To improve understanding of the long-term pore pressure behaviour associated with the operation of a tailings dam, the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria (UP), in collaboration with SRK Consulting and Marula Platinum, is conducting an instrumentation project to observe pore pressure (both positive and negative), moisture content and temperature at nine monitoring locations on a platinum tailings dam. The Marula Platinum Mine is situated approximately 30 km northwest of the town of Burgersfort. The mine operates a tailings dam with a footprint of 48 Ha on which deposition occurs by means of spigotting.