Gravity-driven 1-D consolidation of cemented paste backfill in 3-m-high columns

Abstract This paper investigates and simulates the effect of underground placement conditions of cemented paste backfill (CPB) on the evolution of its physical and mechanical properties. Experimental setups that consist of PVC+Makrolon ® GP polycarbonate sheet columns, each 3 m high, were built and filled with CPB at two different backfill plants. These setups allow simulating undrained (UD), partial lateral drainage (PLD) and full lateral drainage (FLD) conditions and the measurement of resulting self-weight consolidation settlement of CPB. The results show that maximum drainage water percentages of 15 and 8 % of the CPB total initial water were observed for the FLD and the PLD columns. The results also suggest that in situ backfilled stopes behave in a similar way to that of FLD or PLD conditions.