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The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) promotes performance-based approaches in geotechnical assessments. Hence, characterizing the spatial variability of deposited tailings is expected to be a key input for some tailings storage facilities (TSFs); however, it has seldom been investigated. In this study, we assess the spatial variability of thickened and conventional tailings that have been deposited into the same TSF, providing a unique opportunity to investigate two tailings technologies. A dense array of 15 cone penetration tests (CPTus) has been conducted to collect data. The results were processed using traditional and machine learning-based methods for data detrending when deriving random fields. In terms of correlation lengths, we find similar ranges for the thickened and conventional tailings and similar distributions, likely influenced by the depositional processes. In contrast, the variance in the conventional tailings is higher, which we attribute to its segregating nature. 

Cyclic liquefaction induced by seismic loading from earthquakes is a major concern for countries with active mining industries and moderate seismicity, such as Peru, Chile, and the USA. Cyclic liquefaction is more likely to induce flow failure as compared to other failure modes, and has been associated with a large portion of failures in seismic countries like Chile. Chile is a leading provider of copper and lithium to the global market, and the country’s ability to sustain such a large mining sector could be hindered by its ability to safely store its tailings. Mine tailings have been shown to have unique mechanistic responses dissimilar to those of traditional soils (i.e., sands and clays). Much of engineering practice relies on techniques and procedures developed from data derived from sands and clays. As such, our understanding of the cyclic behavior of mine tailings needs continued research interest to extract new insights into their unique behavior. This paper utilizes a recently developed database focused on the cyclic response of mine tailings to highlight some insights into their peculiar behavior. Specifically, their unique range of material properties and resulting liquefaction curves, the applicability of existing factors in the liquefaction assessment of these materials as compared to sands, and a comparison of in-situ and laboratory-derived cyclic resistances are showcased.