Study on displacement patterns of dam slopes in waste rock-filled tailings dams based on monitoring data analysis

The importance of the displacement law of dam slopes in waste rock-filled tailings ponds is analyzed. Taking a copper molybdenum mine waste rock-filled as an example, the basic situation and displacement observation method of the tailings pond are analyzed. Organize and screen monitoring data from the completion of tailings dam waste rock construction to complete stability. This study analyzes the horizontal and vertical displacement patterns of tailings dam slopes. The results reveal three distinct displacement trends in the waste rock-filled tailings ponds: along the dam axis direction, displacements converge toward the central point of the dam; perpendicular to the dam axis direction, displacements predominantly shift downstream of the dam body; vertical displacements exhibit an overall downward settlement trend. The analysis highlights that vertical downward settlement constitutes the primary displacement component, followed by transverse downstream movement perpendicular to the dam axis, while axial displacement along the dam alignment remains minimal. By analyzing the temporal evolution of displacement across monitoring points in various directions, this study reveals that slope displacement in waste rock-filled tailings dams exhibits a unified three-phase characteristic: slow deformation, accelerated deformation, stabilization. The post-construction displacement is divided into three distinct stages: slow deformation phase （0–150 days）, accelerated deformation phase （150–270 days）, stabilization phase （beyond 270 days）. The characteristics of each stage of displacement are proposed, and combined with current data, the characteristic values of displacement rates for each stage are given, providing a strong basis for guiding the classification warning of tailings ponds in the future.