Dredged slopes at Thompson open-pit
Keyword(s):
Open Pit
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The development of an open-pit mine at Thompson, Manitoba, required the excavation by dredge of 17.6 × 106 m3 of overburden. The overburden consisted primarily of normally consolidated glaciolacustrine soils found beneath Thompson Lake. The paper reviews the geological and geotechnical characteristics of the varved deposits and the basis for establishing the overburden slope configuration. Previous experience on similar dredging projects in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario is reviewed. Performance data collected during the excavation of the dredged slopes are presented. Key words: dredging, slope stability, open-pit mine, glaciolacustrine deposit, varved soil, piezometric response.