Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 19.3.
Tailings phase relationship: (a) element of tailings with air filled and water filled voids;
(b) element separated into air, liquid and solid (Lambe and Whitman, 1981).
Commonly used terms and their definitions include:
Void ratio:
V
V
V
S
e
(19.1)
Degree of saturation:
V
V
W
V
S
(19.2)
Porosity:
V
V
V
VV
V
V
n
(19.3)
V
S
Specific gravity (solids):
S
G
(19.4)
W
V
W
(m
3
); V
a
volume of air in voids (m
3
);
where V
V
volume of voids
V
a
V
W
volume of water (m
3
); V
S
volume of solids (m
3
); W
W
weight of water (kN);
W
S
weight of solids (kN); M
W
mass of water (tonnes); M
S
mass of solids (tonnes).
W
V
S
3
unit weight of solids
(kN/m )
(19.5)
S
S
W
V
W
unit weight ofsolids
(kN/m )
3
(19.6)
W
V
