[0-9]{4} https://revistaschilenas.uchile.cl/handle/2250/42133 2026-05-06T12:54:22Z 2026-05-06T12:54:22Z https://revistaschilenas.uchile.cl/handle/2250/253384 2025-05-30T15:44:50Z

Post-failure modelling of Las Palmas tailings dam using the Material Point Method In recent years, post-failure analysis has gained prominence in the geotechnical and mining industries for risk assessment and mitigation. Estimating runout from tailings dam failures is now a regulatory requirement for the design, operation, and closure oftailings storage facilities (TSFs). The key challenge lies in modelling large deformations while accounting for continuum soil mechanics. The Material Point Method (MPM), a continuum mechanics approach, shows promise due to its efficiency in modellinglarge deformations. It is particularly valuable for studying the entire instability process, including static stability, failure initiation, post-failure behaviour, and subsequent runout. This study applies MPM to a real case: the collapse of the Las Palmas tailings dam,triggered by the 2010 Maule earthquake in Chile (Mw 8.8). The dam is located approximately 30 km northwest of Talca, in Chile’s Maule region. The computational model considers a two-dimensional plane-strain condition with fully saturated porous media and a coupled hydro-mechanical formulation. The results include velocity, deformation, displacement, and final deposition patterns. Notably, the computed runout distance aligns well with post-collapse field observations, validating the method’s capability toreplicate real cases. This research enhances our understanding of failure mechanisms and contributes to improved risk management in the mining industry.

https://revistaschilenas.uchile.cl/handle/2250/253385 2025-05-30T15:44:50Z

Comparative study of P2PSand and Mohr-Coulomb constitutive models using FLAC3D for the seismic modeling of a tailings dam in Chile The trend in the dynamic analysis of tailings deposits is to use advanced constitutive models in order to properly capture the cyclic behavior of the materials and thus have a better estimation of the physical stability of these structures. In this context, the main objective of this research is to compare the results of numerical simulations performed with a constitutive model used in current practice, such as the Mohr-Coulomb elastoplastic model, and an advanced constitutive model based on the critical state theory. This model, P2PSand, has the ability to represent the contractive and dilatant behavior of soils and the essential characteristics of the cyclic behavior of sands. From the results of the numerical analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn: P2PSand is able to adequately simulate the dynamic behavior of the sand in the tailing dam subjected to a measured earthquake of medium intensity (Mw = 5.4). P2PSand and Mohr-Coulomb constitutive models have the capability to analyze a maximum credible earthquake of magnitude 8.0 (Mw = 8.0), even if the earthquake is increased by 1.5 and 2 and if an advanced constitutive model is not used, the use of an elastic-plastic model with the addition of hysteretic damping is recommended.

https://revistaschilenas.uchile.cl/handle/2250/253386 2025-05-30T15:44:50Z

The design of shallow foundations on fractured rock Designing shallow foundations on fractured rock is a complex challenge for civil engineers due to varied geological structures and material properties. Unlike soils, estimating rock mass bearing capacity using soil mechanics methods is often unsuitable due to irregular block dimensions. Factors like discontinuities, filling materials, and fracture intensity further complicate developing auniversal theory akin to Terzaghi’s for soils. Peck introduced a method correlating bearing capacity with Rock Quality Designation (RQD), followed by approaches based on Bieniawski’s Geomechanics Classification System and empirical methods. Despite advancements in numerical modelling, no universal solutions exist. This study analyzes fractured rock behaviour using Chilean site samples, employing finite element models to compute shear stresses and deformations. The goal is to propose a comparative method integrating empirical and numerical approaches, evaluating result dispersion.

https://revistaschilenas.uchile.cl/handle/2250/253387 2025-05-30T15:44:50Z

Pedro Hidalgo Oyanedel Ingeniero Civil 1939-2024 Pedro Hidalgo obtuvo el título de Ingeniero Civil en la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile UC en 1962. Realizó un doctorado en Ingeniería Estructural en la Universidad de California en Berkeley, EEUU, el cual finalizó en 1975. Fue académico y uno de los profesores fundadores del Departamento de Ingeniería Estructural y Geotécnica en la UC en 1963. Por 41 años dictó a miles de ingenieros UC los cursos de Análisis Estructural, Mecánica Racional, Mecánica de Sólidos, y Diseño Sismorresistente.