Abstract

GoldSim is a widely used simulation package that is frequently used in the modelling of water balances for mine sites and Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF). One limitation of GoldSim is that TSFs can only be represented as 2D structures using the available GoldSim modelling tools. Currently, water balance models of the TSF pond assume a constant tailings storage shape, notably a conical shape or the stage-area-volume curve of the last survey. They can also be comprised of a set of stage-storage curves for the pond and tailings that are based on deterministic modelling. This is then applied to a long duration model. The result is that elevations and volumes predicted by the TSF model may not be accurate, and they may not always be relied on as a realistic prediction. Muk3D is a 3D modelling tool that simulates the filling of TSF’s based on the geometric representation of tailings behaviour. As tailings surfaces are formed within the model, the interaction with the pond and the underlying topography is simulated, leading to more realistic deposition surfaces that can better predict TSF behaviour than 2D models. Muk3D does not include a water balance component in its modelling toolkit, and so has always relied on the user entering relevant data about the behaviour of the pond when developing tailings plans. This paper discusses how GoldSim and Muk3D have been integrated allowing for 3D tailings deposition to be incorporated into an existing water balance model. The difference in results between the 2D models for a TSF used in GoldSim and the same models run using a 3D deposition model are explored, and advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed.