The Role of Rheology Tests in the Design and Operation of Long-Distance Slurry Transport Systems
Authors: Cristian Giner1, Alexander Manos2, Gonzalo Laciar1, Stuart Flett2, Cristian Bertolo1
Conference: Tailings 2025: 11th International Conference on Tailings Management
Date: September 3-5, 2025
1 Mechanical and Piping Engineering, Knight Piésold, Argentina
2 Mechanical and Piping Engineering, Knight Piésold, USA
ABSTRACT
Mineral-rich regions are often concentrated in defined geographic areas where multiple mining operations under common ownership may be established. In such cases, operations at specific development stages may share common tailings storage facilities, offering increased operational flexibility during facility expansions. In these configurations, long transport distances and rugged, uneven terrain present significant challenges to the design and operation of tailings pipeline systems, with implications of both, initial capital expenditures and long-term operational costs. Although the system’s final design focused on compliance with standard design criteria, operational deviations from those guidelines were identified; nevertheless, the system met its performance objectives. The findings suggest that rheological properties obtained through non-representative laboratory testing can lead to conservative hydraulic design evaluations that do not accurately reflect site-specific conditions. This article presents a case study demonstrating how the rheological characteristics of tailings, especially those influenced by sample preparation and properties such as rheomalaxis and thixotropy can play a critical role in informing and optimizing key design decisions.
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