Shaking table testing of liquefaction potential of cemented paste backfill: Effects of backfill temperature

ABSTRACT: Cemented paste backfilling has been successfully applied for mine ground control and/or tailings management in the past few decades. In the field, cemented paste backfill (CPB; a mixture of tailings, water and binder) can be subjected to different curing temperatures and/or seismic loadings (e.g., earthquakes and rock bursts) which can affect its geotechnical stability. Fresh CPB may liquefy due to seismic loading. However, no study has assessed the liquefaction of CPB under seismic conditions by using the shaking table test, particularly when the CPB is subjected to different curing temperatures. Accordingly, the shaking table test is applied to assess the effect of temperature on the possibility of earthquake-induced liquefaction of CPB. Shaking table tests are performed on CPB cured for 2.5 hrs under different temperatures. The results show that higher temperatures reduce the liquefaction susceptibility of CPB. The temperature of CPB therefore needs to be considered in evaluating its liquefaction susceptibility.