Course coordinator
Dr Chenming Zhang
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Civil Engineering School
The course will describe the nature of tailings and tailings disposal and storage options; investigate tailings dam failure case studies; and inform tailings dam design, including the basis of design, investigation, the selection of design parameters and analysis methods; tailings dam construction and operation, including embankment raising options, the rate of rise of tailings, the tailings water balance, and water management; and tailings closure, including the basis of closure design, closure options, and closure case studies.
The Course will cover:
- The drivers of current tailings management and design.
- Catastrophic and fatal tailings dam failures, and lessons that have and can be learned.
- Current and alternative methods of tailings management, including integrated waste facilities and co-disposal with coarse wastes, and their evolution.
- An informed, multi-disciplinary, risk-based approach to conceptual tailings management, site selection, design, construction, operation, and closure of tailings facilities.
- Key geotechnical knowledge and understanding related to tailings management and design.
- The tailings management and design approach, including the relevant Standards, Guidelines and Regulations.
- A commentary onﾠgeotechnical aspects of tailings management and design.
- Monitoring and surveillance of tailings and other mine waste facilities.
- The closure of tailings and other mine waste facilities.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Assumed background is the content of the course CIVL2210.
While a basic knowledge of tailings design would be a distinct advantage, it is not essential.
The Course will appeal to a wide range of disciplines, including Geotechnical, Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CIVL2210
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
MINE4000
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Chenming Zhang
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course covers the geotechnical principles and the methods to manage mine waste and tailings safely and effectively. Students will learn about designing and managing tailings facilities using risk-based approaches and best practices while considering safety and sustainability. By studying real-life failures, they will gain valuable insights in how to minimise the risk of failures in mine waste containment facilities. Students will develop the skills needed to plan, operate, and close mine waste facilities in a way that meets industry standards and protects the environment.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe the drivers of current tailings management and design.
LO2.
Describe catastrophic and fatal tailings dam failures, and lessons that have and can be learned.
LO3.
Describe current and alternative methods of tailings management, and their evolution.
LO4.
Promote and informed, multi-disciplinary, risk-based approach to conceptual tailings management, site selection, design, construction, operation, and closure of tailings facilities.
LO5.
Describe key geotechnical knowledge and understanding related to tailings design.
LO6.
The tailings design approach, including the relevant Standards, Guidelines and Regulations.
LO7.
Provide a commentary on geotechnical aspects of tailings design.
LO8.
Describe the closure requirements of tailings facilities.
LO9.
Working effectively, communicating, interacting in a group.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Group Assignment - Assessment of a Failed Tailings Dam
|
20% |
7/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Group Assignment - Tailings Facility Design, Operation and Closure
|
20% |
19/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Examination
|
60% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Group Assignment - Assessment of a Failed Tailings Dam
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
7/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Peer assessment factor.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09
Task description
Assignment 1 will be carried out in student-assigned Groups of up to 6 students.
For the supplied data on a failed tailings dam, plus sourced information, and relevant Course content, address the following questions/tasks:
(a) What indicators of failure were available prior to the failure?
(b) Summarise and critique the identifiable causes of the failure and rank their perceived importance.
(c) What remedial actions are recommended and why?
Each team member's contribution to this assignment will be peer-assessed using Buddycheck on the course's Blackboard. You will evaluate your teammates' contributions and justify your own participation. A Peer Assessment Factor will be generated through this process, which will be used to adjust individual final marks based on the group assignment score and the moderated peer assessment factor.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assessment must be submitted through the course BlackBoard site
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Group Assignment - Tailings Facility Design, Operation and Closure
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
19/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Peer assessment factor.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09
Task description
Assignment 2 will be carried out in the same Groups of up to 6 students as for Assignment 1.
Making use of the supplied information and relevant Course content, plan the following aspects of tailings management for the mine site described:
(a) The location and geometry of the tailings storage, taking into account the topography, climate, hydrology, and hydrogeology of the site, capital and operating costs, and closure risks and costs.
(b) The degree to which the tailings should best be thickened prior to disposal, and the method of tailings transport and storage.
(c) Closure and rehabilitation of the tailings storage post-closure to maximise land function and use.
Each team member's contribution to this assignment will be peer-assessed using Buddycheck on the course's Blackboard. You will evaluate your teammates' contributions and justify your own participation. A Peer Assessment Factor will be generated through this process, which will be used to adjust individual final marks based on the group assignment score and the moderated peer assessment factor.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assessment must be submitted through the course BlackBoard site
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The exam will be made up of MCQ and problem solving.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
To receive an overall grade of 4 or more, a student must achieve at least 45% on the final exam.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student fails to demonstrate any significant knowledge or understanding of the underlying concepts. Much of the information provided is inaccurate or irrelevant. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student fails to demonstrate sufficient knowledge or understanding of the underlying concepts. Much of the information provided is inaccurate or irrelevant. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student falls short of satisfying all basic requirements of a Pass. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates sound knowledge and at least partial understanding of the underlying concepts. Some correct and some incorrect information is provided. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a strong knowledge and understanding of the underlying concepts. The information provided is mostly accurate, although it includes some irrelevant details. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates very sound knowledge and understanding of the underlying concepts. Information provided is essentially correct and relevant. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates excellent knowledge and understanding of the underlying concepts. There is evidence of critical analysis, and information provided is accurate and relevant. |
Additional course grading information
Grade cutoffs and hurdles
Final (total) marks will be rounded up to an integer value prior to applying hurdles or grade boundaries.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial A 1-hour Tutorial will be given in-person following the Lecture from 12:00 to 12:50pm on Mondays in the room as timetabled, to provide examples pertinent to the application of the course material, and to introduce and provide feedback on the examinable Assignments. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Lecture A 2-hour lecture will be given in-person from 10:00 to 11:50am on Mondays in the room as timetabled, to cover the course content and its application. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: