UWA PLUS

Basics of Tailings Geotechnics - MINEM502    

This micro-credential has been designed for professionals working in the field of tailings management. It is best suited to practicing engineers, geoscientists or individuals with significant experience in tailings in an oversight capacity and those wanting to gain knowledge on tailings management strategies. You will learn how particle size distributions are obtained and how they are used to classify geomaterials.

This includes an introduction to the concepts of plasticity and links to mineralogy. Utilisation of phase diagrams for understanding key parameters such as void ratio are described and the core concept of effective stress and its link to shear strength are discussed.

This micro-credential is the second of 12 micro-credentials (currently in development) which, if successfully completed, will lead to a Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management* at UWA.

Future Tails is a five-year initiative funded by sponsors Rio Tinto and BHP to facilitate industry understanding of best practice mine tailings management.

Upon successful completion of this micro-credential, you'll receive:

  • Two PD Points - stackable for academic credit towards the Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management*
  • A Certificate of Achievement
  • A UWA Plus Professional Development Transcript, listing all successfully completed micro-credentials

*In order to apply for the Graduate Certificate award you must have a Bachelor of Engineering degree or a degree in a related field and have met UWA’s English language competency requirements. Please refer to the Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management.

Delivery mode
Online access to learning material, on demand. Two online discussion forums will be held for students to discuss the learning material and share their own insights into the topics covered.
Course dates

28 April 2025 - 20 June 2025

Registrations close

2 May 2025

Effort
50 hours (including online learning, personal study time and assessments)
Academic lead
Professor Andy Fourie
Cost
$1,100 inc. GST
Critical information summary
MINEM502 Basics of Tailings Geotechnics [PDF 84.4KB]
Keyboard

What you'll learn

You will learn how particle size distributions are obtained and how they are used to classify geomaterials. This includes an introduction to the concepts of plasticity and links to mineralogy. Utilisation of phase diagrams for understanding key parameters such as void ratio are described and the core concept of effective stress and its link to shear strength are discussed.

Participants will be able to:

Compare tailings characterisation using the USCS and the ICOLD systems, and account for clay mineralogy

Demonstrate ability to determine parameters related to solids content, void ratio and degree of saturation and the relevance of these parameters to engineering characteristics

Calculate variations in both vertical and effective stress for typical TSF scenarios

Demonstrate the ability to link effective stress and shear strength, under both drained and undrained loading conditions

Keyboard 

Why study this course?

As a result of the recent Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), there is increasing demand for tailings professionals at the same time as the industry is experiencing a shortage of personnel with appropriate training. The GISTM will bring rapid change to the way the industry manages tailings and waste. This micro-credential and the subsequent micro-credentials will allow you to keep up with standards, technologies and guidelines dealing with tailings management.

Recommended prior knowledge

Best suited to practising engineers, geoscientists, managers or people with significant experience in tailings in an oversight capacity and those wanting to gain knowledge on tailings management strategies.

This micro-credential will require engineering numerical skills.

What's next after this course?

This micro-credential is one of a series of twelve micro-credentials that are stackable towards the Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management*.

The next micro-credential in this series is MINEM532:  Monitoring.  The Calendar of micro-credentials can be found here

*In order to apply for the Graduate Certificate award you must have a Bachelor of Engineering degree or a degree in a related field and have met UWA's English language competency requirements. Please refer to the Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management.

Apply

  • If you are not an employee of BHP or Rio Tinto, please click here to register and pay for this micro-credential
  • If you are an employee of BHP or Rio Tinto and this is your 1st-3rd Tailings Management micro, your fee is covered by your employer. Please click here to register.
  • If you are an employee of BHP or Rio Tinto and this is your 4th-12th Tailings Management micro, please click here to register and pay for this micro-credential