A contribution to the key question related to tailings - When does a soil behave like a soil and how can we observe that?

Prof Scheuermann was awarded a Queensland Science Fellowship on the further development of Spatial TDR in 2012, and in 2018 the ARC Future Fellowship on using geophysical methods for monitoring erosion processes in embankments. For over 15 years, Alexander has been working with scientists from different disciplines, developing, modifying and applying electromagnetic measurement methods such as Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) for different questions in Geohydraulics and Geomechanics. His current research interests involve multi-phase and multi-scale processes underlining important questions on erosion, the hydraulic and mechanic behaviour of unsaturated soils and soft soils, and their application in dam engineering and tailings dams as well as for reclaimed land.

Dr Bore earned his Master’s degree in acoustic at the University of Paris VII, France, and his PhD degree from Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France, in metrology in 2007 and 2011 respectively. He has been working as research fellow at School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, since June 2015. In 2018, Thierry was the recipient of an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award on the further development of dielectric spectroscopy for soil characterisation.

The presentation deals with the question from which condition onwards soil starts to show soil-like properties and how they relate to potential failure mechanisms for Tailings Storage Facilities. Special attention will be given to an emerging monitoring technology based on the electromagnetic measurement method dielectric spectroscopy.