TAILINGS DEPOSITION MODELLING

TUTORIAL

Downstream Deposition
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INTRODUCTION

During this tutorial the User will develop a Rift TD Tailings Deposition Model. Deposition takes
place upstream of an embankment; moving downstream up the embankment face. This tutorial
also provide an overview of:
Result output
Pond development using the Pond Wizard
A copy of the Rift TD Users Manual may be useful while working through this tutorial. It is in-
stalled as part of the Rift TD installation process. Alternatively, it can be downloaded from our
download page at www.riftxone.com.

TUTORIAL COMPONENTS

This tutorial comprises:

This instruction set
ASCII data files
Deposition Line.txt
Vector Slope.txt
Raise Data.txt
Rift TD Data Files
Base Model.rft: The surface
used to develop the deposition model
Final Model.rft: The completed deposition model

BASE TOPOGRAPHY

Base topography has been generated from ASCII points. A tutorial outlining initial surface devel-
opment is available from our download page at www.riftxone.comModel Setup (ASCII Data).

This tutorial provides the surface model, Base Model.rft, as a starting point.

MODEL DEFINITION

Model definition comprises:

Beach Profile: The horizontal sub-aerial and sub-aqueous profiles. Materials define the
complex profile, a sequence of sub-aerial and sub-aqueous profiles, that define the com-
plete beach profile from the beachhead to the pond.
Material: The Beach Profiles that form the complex profile, material densities and deposi-
tion rates.

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Raise Data: Defines how the deposition points are raised vertically.
Vector Slope: Defines how the deposition points move horizontally as the are raised.
Deposition Boundary: The coordinates, Material, Vector Slope and Raise Data that define
the deposition boundary
To start the tutorial open the Rift TD data file Base Model.rft included with the tutorial.

BEACH PROFILES
Note:
Beach Profiles define the horizontal tailings beach profile. By default Rift TD Generates two Pro-
files:
In this tutorial linear Sub-Aerial and Sub-Aqueous Profiles Profile No.1 Sub-Aerial Profile
will be defined; the Sub-Aerial Profile having a longitudinal Profile No. 2 Sub-Aqueous Profile
slope of 1 vertical in 120 horizontal (0.0083), and the Sub- Both profiles have a slope of 0.01 (1
Aqueous Profile a longitudinal slope of 1 vertical in 40 hori- vertical in 100 horizontal).
zontal (0.025).
Click
The Beach Profiles tool-
button or
Edit Beach Profiles
Use the Navigation Toolbar to
select the Beach Profile to be
edited. By default Beach Pro-
file 1 is active. If this has been
altered activate Beach Profile 1
using the Active Data List-box or the Previous Tool- Note:
button. For this example linear profiles are used;
Click on the Beach Profile Data Tab no data entry is required on the Data
Grid.
For non-linear profiles enter the dimen-
sionless Beach Profile on the Data Grid.
Alternatively use the Non-linear Profile
Tool:
Tools Generate Beach Profile

The description is used to identify the Beach Profile

Enter a description of Sub-Aerial when defining the complex profile (see Material
Enter a beach slope of 0.0083 (1 vertical Definition below).
in 120 horizontal)
Activate Beach Profile No. 2 using the Navigation
Toolbar
Enter a description of Sub-Aqueous
Enter a beach slope of 0.025 (1 in 40)

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MATERIAL Beach Profiles

Materials define:
The deposition rate over time [mass per day].
The complex Beach Profile: The sub-aerial, sub
-aqueous and if necessary, cyclone profiles,
defining the complete deposition profile from It is possible to define a General (Sub-
the beachhead to the pond.
Deposited material densities.
For this example a deposition rate of 10 000 tons
per day will be defined.
The Sub-Aerial and Sub-Aqueous Beach Profiles de-
fined above are used to define the Complex Beach
Profile.
Click
The sub-aerial and sub-aqueous profile drop-
down boxes present lists of available profiles.
Available profiles vary depending on the pro-
file type being defined i.e. Cyclone, Sub-Aerial
or Sub-Aqueous.
Note:
Aqueous) profile as the Sub-Aerial profile. In
this case a single profile, the General Profile,
defines the entire beach.
Try:
Setting the Sub-Aerial profile to Profile 2. The
Sub-Aqueous profile combo box is no longer
be available.

Materials Tool-button , or
Edit Materials
On the Data Grid enter:
A deposition start date of 1 January 2010; and
A deposition rate of 10 000 tonnes per
day
Click the Material Beach Definition Tab
Ensure that the Flowable is checked
Check Cyclone Deposition
Check Cyclone Material to Embankment
Enter an Underflow Percentage of 20%
Set a cyclone density of 1.4 tonnes per m
Set a sub-aerial density of 1.4 tonnes per m3
Set Beach Profile 1 as the Sub-aerial profile
Enter a sub-aqueous density of 1.3 tonnes per
m3
Set Beach Profile 2 as the sub-aqueous profile

RAISE DATA

Raise Data defines how deposition points are raised from their initial elevation to their final ele-
vation.

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During this tutorial the deposition point will be raised from its initial elevation of 1310m to an
elevation of 1350m in 8 stages i.e. 5m intervals
Click

Raise Data Tool-button or

Edit Raise Data
Enter a value of 1310.0m in the first
column (El.1)
Enter a value of 1350.0m in the second
column (El. 2)
Right Click on the Data Grid and select Deposition Intervals
Enter a value of 8 in the first row

Close the Deposition Interval editor

VECTOR SLOPE

Vector Slopes define how deposition points are moved horizontally as they are raised. For down-
stream cyclone deposition the vector slope is used to define the upstream embankment slope.

We will set a slope of 1.0 vertical in 2.5 horizontal.

Click

Vector Slope Tool-button or

Edit Vector Slope
Enter values on the Data Grid:
Row 1: x = 1.0; y = 0
Row 2: x = 2.5; y = 1

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DEPOSITION LINE

Deposition Lines/Boundaries define lines in space from which deposition occurs. For downstream
cyclone deposition they also define the upstream embankment crest location. The following
fields require definition:
x, y and z coordinates defining the line in space
Material: Deposition rates, beach profiles and material densities
Vector slope: How the deposition vectors move horizontally as they are raised and the up-
stream embankment slope
Raise data: How the deposition points are raised vertically
To define the deposition line:
Click

Deposition Line/Boundary Tool-button or

EditDeposition Boundary
Click (activate graphic addition of data)

Add Graphic Data Tool-button or

Data Add or
Right click on the DTM Graphic and select Data Add
Click on the DTM Graphic to define the Deposition Line immediately upstream of the em-
bankment

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Click on the DTM Graphic to draw the deposition

Tip:
line, drawing the line from the left to the right
Alternatively press the Esc key
Click (deactivate graphic addition of data)

Add Graphic Data Tool-button or

Data Add or
Right click on the DTM Graphic and select Data Add
Set the deposition line elevation to 1355.0m
Right Click on the Data Grid and select Set Node Elevations

Select Constant Elevation and enter a

value of 1355.0m
Click Ok
For all nodes Set:

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Material = 1Material No. 1 is

used
Vector Slope = 1Vector Slope
No. 1 is used
Raise Data = 1: Raise Data No. 1
is used
Click the Deposition Boundary/Line
Tab
Ensure that Boundary Closed is not
checked
Uncheck Start Point360 deposition
Uncheck End Point360 deposition
Check Deposition Direction to the Left
of Line
Check Vector Direction to the Right of Line
Set a Distance between Vectors of 100m (this
results in the generation of two deposition
vectors per line segment)
Define the Downstream Embankment
Click the Embankment Link
Check Generate Embankment
By default Vector Slope 1 is used for the
Upstream Slope. If more than one Vec-
tor Slope is defined select an alternate
Vector Slope using the Upstream Slope
link.
Enter a Downstream Slope of 0.4 (1 in
2.5)
Enter 10 Nodes (the number of nodes
used per line segment when generating
the embankment)
Click the Embankment Elevations Tab
Enter a Start Elevation of 1310
Enter an End Elevation of 1355
Enter a Raise Height of 10m

Based on this definition embankments will be gen-

erated starting at an elevation of 1310m,in 10m
increments, to an elevation of 1355m. Note that
the final raise height will be 5m (1350 to 1355m)

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DEPOSITION POND DEFINITION

Deposition ponds are used during a model

run to define the interface between the sub-
aerial and sub-aqueous beaches.

Rift TD allows provides two modes for depo-

sition pond definition:
Freeboard
Deposition node elevation
We will use a freeboard of 3.5m based on
the minimum deposition point elevation.
Click Edit Model Options
Select the Pond Tab-sheet
Check Freeboard
Enter a Freeboard of 3.5m
Check Minimum Deposition Point Elevation
Click Ok

MODEL RUN
Click

Run Tool-button or
Run Run Model
The User is prompted for a result file name enter a name or use the default name
Click Ok
If a file of that name already exists the user is prompted
for an action:
Select Overwrite Existing Data
The model runs with summary results being presented as
the run proceeds

R E S U LT S

DISPLAYING RESULTS

Results are automatically displayed following an automatic run, or on loading a result file.

Results comprise:

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Basin Deposition Results and

Embankment Results

BASIN DEPOSITION RESULTS

Output comprises:
Data values on the Data Grid; and
A tri-axial plot showing:
Rate of Rise
Plan Deposition Area
Deposition Volumes
Deposition Tonnage
Result table options are set using the Result Options Output Tab-
Sheet.

Graphic options can be set using the Graph Options Tab-sheet.

Generate three dimensional views of the deposited surface on the 3-D Tab-sheet.

Loading DTM Lift Results

Surfaces for each lift are saved to the result file during a model run. Use the DTM Lift Combo-box

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on the Deposition Tool-bar to load these surfaces.

The DTM Lift Combo-box values correspond to the lift

results presented on the Result Table.

Select Lift No. 5 from the DTM

Lift Combo-box
The DTM Graphic is updated to
reflect Lift No. 5; corresponding to Row
No. 5 of the Result Table

EMBANKMENT DEPOSITION RESULTS

To view embankment results click the Em-

bankment Results Tool-button

Embankment results are output is on the

Data Grid. Output values include:
Construction end date
Maximum embankment crest elevation

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Embankment base plan area

Embankment fill volume

Scenario Analysis
Scenario analysis can be undertaken
following a model run.

Click

Material Tool-button
Edit Materials
Select the Material Beach Definition Tab
Adjust
Cyclone density
Cyclone underflow percentage
Sub-aerial density
Sub-aqueous density
Click Run Fill
Deposition basin and embankment re-
sults are updated

POND

We will generate a pond using deposition surface 5 (loaded previ-

ously).
Click
Pond Wizard Tool-button on the Wizards Toolbar or
Surface Model Pond Generate Pond
Click Select Point Tip:
Click on the DTM Graphic to select a point in the Surface elevations at the cursor location
pond basin, ensuring that the selected point is be- are provided in the coordinate box in the
low the pond top elevation (1332.5m for this tuto- bottom right hand corner of Rift TD
rial)
Click Next
Enter a Pond elevation of 1332.5m
Set a volume Elevation interval of 0.5m
Click Finish

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The pond is generated, the volume ele-

vation curve presented and the DTM
and 3-D Graphics updated to show the
pond

I M P O R T I N G A S C I I D ATA F I L E S

Data can be imported using ASCII data files. Three ASCII Note:
files have been included with this tutorial: When importing ASCII data ensure that data
columns in the file match the column head-
Deposition Boundary.txt: Data defining the depo- ings on the Data Grid.
sition boundary
ASCII Data must be space or tab delimited
Raise Data.txt: Data defining the raise data
Vector Slope.txt: Data defining the Vector Slope
To import ASCII data:
Activate the data type into which data will be imported
Click File Import ASCII
The file open dialog is presented
Select an ASCII Data File and click Open
If data exists you will be prompted whether to overwrite or
retain existing data; select an option
Data is imported into the Active Data set

PA S T I N G D ATA F R O M T H E C L I P B O A R D
Copy data to the clipboard
Click on the Data Grid to activate it
Press Ctrl V on the keyboard to past data to Rift TD

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