TAILS

This program is designed for the calculation of the rate of consolidation of mine and mill tailings and dredge spoils under their own weight and/or under surcharge loadings. Major compenents of this software include:

• A central finite difference solution with two iterations on properties at each point in time and automatic updating of layer thicknesses.
• Use of stress-dependent compressibilities and permeabilities.
• Specification of multiple layers with different properties.
• Arbitrary variations in the rate of filling.
• Large and nonuniform strains allowable.

TAILS showed excellent performance in the validation studies reported by Townsend and McVay, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol.116, No.2, Feb. 1990, and was the only program capable of solving a problem involving placement of a sand/clay cap over phosphate slimes.