Rheological, Mechanical and Hydration Properties of Cemented Paste Backfill

Dear Colleagues,

Cemented Paste Backfill (CPB) is a critical technology in sustainable mining, enabling the reuse of tailings/gauge waste to stabilize underground voids while addressing environmental and safety challenges. This special issue focuses on advancing knowledge of CPB’s rheological behavior, mechanical behavior, hydration kinetics, and long-term durability,  emphasizing optimizing component interactions (i.e., tailings/ gauge waste, binders, water) and environmental performance.  Integrating these properties is essential for designing efficient backfill systems, minimizing risks such as barricade failures, wall collapses, or heavy metal leaching.

Key Topics of Interest

1. Rheological Properties
   1. Flow behavior, viscosity, and yield stress under varying shear conditions, including the impact of additives on consistency and pumpability.
   2. Development of constitutive models to predict CPB flow in pipelines and stopes.
2. Mechanical Performance
   1. Strength development influenced by tailings mineralogy, binder type, and curing conditions.
   2. Stability under dynamic loads and long-term durability in corrosive environments.
3. Hydration and Microstructural Evolution
   1. Kinetics of binder hydration, including the role of activators in accelerating C-S-H and AFt formation.
   2. Microstructural characterization using advanced techniques to link hydration products to macroscopic properties.
4. Environmental and Geochemical Behavior
   1. Acid mine drainage mitigation and heavy metal immobilization through tailored binder formulations.
   2. Lifecycle assessment of CPB’s ecological footprint and resource efficiency.
5. Innovations in Testing and Application
   1. Novel methods for assessing workability, such as the rebound test for in situ strength evaluation.
   2. Case studies on large-scale CPB deployment, including mixing, transportation, and placement challenges.

Dr. Baoxu Yan
Prof. Dr. Erol Yilmaz
Dr. Abbas Taheri
Guest Editors

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