Establish the base.
Develop the platform, liner and drainage, bag locations and access for the first lift.
Secure Stacked Dewatering Containers · SSDCs
Dry stacked tailings using geotextile containers.
A modular approach to retaining, dewatering and stacking mine tailings in geobags. Develop the stack configuration, filling sequence, water pathway and closure strategy with Kontain.
A stacked tailings storage approach
Dewater within the bags. Build the storage in stages.
The objective is a tailings stack built from geotextile containers. Dewatering and consolidation provide the basis for assessing each lift, while the overall facility needs a planned footprint, drainage system, loading sequence and closure arrangement.
Start with the final storage concept, then work back through the stack geometry, tailings behaviour and filling programme.
Stack configuration
Plan the stack, layer by layer.
- 01Base platform and footprint
Set the bag layout, foundation requirements, containment, drainage collection and operating access around the available site.
- 02Upper tiers and setbacks
Assess bag orientation, offsets, edge setbacks, load transfer and the proposed stack shape as part of the engineered configuration.
- 03Sequence and hold points
Confirm the material response and acceptance criteria before filling or loading each successive tier.
- 04Long-term performance
Consider settlement, stability, water, exposure protection, monitoring and the closure cover alongside the operating plan.
From the base lift to closure
A controlled sequence for successive lifts.
Each stage needs defined controls and an engineering basis. A generic drying period or a nominal bag strength cannot establish when the next tier is ready.
Fill the first lift.
Use controlled filling and conditioning, collect the water and assess consolidation and material behaviour.
Build the next tier.
Verify strength, settlement and stability against the design hold points before applying the next-stage load.
Protect and monitor.
Develop exposure protection, surface-water management, the closure cover and long-term monitoring.
Why assess stacked containers?
Capacity, containment and closure considered together.
The approach is worth examining for small and mid-sized mine operations, staged storage expansions and selected tailings reclaim projects. The benefits depend on the material and the whole facility design.
Develop capacity in stages.
Assess cells and successive lifts against the production programme, consolidation time and available footprint.
Retain tailings in a defined layout.
Containers form the storage units. Their integrity, interfaces and overall stack stability remain part of the facility assessment.
Plan water and closure from the start.
Connect drainage and water reuse or treatment with the operating sequence and final protection strategy.
Develop the tailings stack with Kontain.
Bring the site plan, tailings data and production basis. Kontain can help develop the stack concept, agreed engineering scope and Kontainer™ Geobag material package.
Feasibility & testing inputGeobags, liner & drainageLayout & stack planning
Technical support + material supply
Kontainer™ Geobags and associated geosynthetics, supported by practical engineering input for Australian and international projects.
Stacking questions
What needs resolving before the next lift?
Move from a storage concept to an engineering and operating basis that fits the site.
How many tiers can a geobag tailings stack have?
The permitted arrangement depends on tailings properties, foundation conditions, bag and seam demand, interfaces, water conditions and the staged stability assessment. The concept images do not set a design limit.
When can the next tier be filled?
Use the project’s measured consolidation and strength response, design loading conditions and hold points. There is no universal drying period that establishes readiness for another lift.
Can this approach replace a conventional tailings facility?
Assess stacked containers alongside the credible storage alternatives. Throughput, drainage area, water chemistry, material behaviour, climate, closure and whole-of-life cost determine the project fit.
What support does Kontain provide?
Discuss stack configuration and modelling, the pad and drainage layout, bag sizing and material supply, filling interfaces and the agreed project scope. Review Kontain’s current geobag supply and design scope or send a tailings stacking enquiry.