The Tailings Center

The Fundamentals Short Course Certificate Program

Multiple Virtual Sessions Offered

Course 1: Fundamentals of Tailings Engineering

  • Tailings generation (mineral processing, tailings production)
  • Tailings characterization (physical and geochemical characterization)
  • Tailings continuum and rheology (separation, dewatering, thickening, and filtering)
  • Tailings operations and geotechnics (overview of design)
  • Tailings innovation and minimization
  • 15 Contact hours

Course 2: TSF Planning, Siting and Design Concepts

  • External factors affecting TSF planning and siting
  • TSF facility types and components (impoundments, liner systems and seepage control)
  • Construction and operations (tailings transport and deposition)
  • TSF planning and siting (site selection process)
  • Site investigations and sampling (geologic, geotechnical, borrow materials)
  • 15 Contact hours

Course 3: TSF Geotechnical Design, Instrumentation and Monitoring

  • Key components of a design cross section
  • Effective stresses and pore water pressure monitoring
  • Static and dynamic loading conditions (long-term drained, undrained, post-earthquake and pseudo static)
  • Static and dynamic stability, and sensitivity and deformation analyses
  • TSF surveillance, performance monitoring and inspections
  • 15 Contact hours

Course 4: TSF Water Management

  • Hydrologic and hydrogeologic considerations in siting and TSF water management
  • Development and implementation of TSF and mine water management plans
  • Building, calibrating and applying TSF water balances to support improved decision making
  • Geochemical considerations for tailings management, water quality and AMD/metal leaching
  • Seepage management (including hydraulic containment, active and passive water treatment technologies)
  • Environmental performance framework and regulatory processes
  • 15 Contact hours

Course 5: TSF Operation and Governance

  • Tailings Stewardship including corporate stewardship, communication and emotional IQ
  • Roles, responsibilities and expectations of tailings stewards
  • Tailings management systems, operation, maintenance, and surveillance (OMS), and documentation
  • TSF monitoring systems and data analysis
  • TSF Risk Management and emergency action plans (EAP)
  • Comparison of applicable international standards
  • 15 Contact hours

Course 6: TSF Closure and Reclamation

  • TSF decommissioning and closure (environmental, social, legal, and financial components, life of mine phases)
  • Tailings management for closure during operations
  • TSF closure planning (characterization of mine waste characterization, covers, landform design)
  • TSF closure management plans (baseline data, socio-economic planning, objectives, site trials)
  • TSF decommissioning, closure, and post-closure monitoring (planning and management requirements)
  • Closure cost estimates, environmental liability, and financial assurance instruments
  • 15 Contact hours

To receive further information and updates, email tailingscenter@mines.edu 

We have just launched a new Tailings Center website at www.tailingscenter.com.

Also contact The Tailings Center for the following:

If you are interested in having these courses offered to your company onsite (we can provide you a quote)

If you have new course (topic) suggestions

If you have nominations for course instructors

Colorado School of Mines
University of Arizona Logo
Colorado State University Logo