Mine Tailings Volume Calculator
Calculate the volume and storage capacity required for mine tailings based on ore tonnage, recovery rate, and tailings density.
Input Parameters
Total dry ore mass fed to the processing plant.
Fraction of target mineral successfully extracted (0–100%).
Typical range: 2.5–3.2 t/m³ for hard-rock ores.
Mass of dry solids as a fraction of total slurry mass.
Added margin on top of net slurry volume (default 15%).
Dry Tailings Mass
—
tonnes
Slurry Volume
—
m³
Slurry Mass
—
tonnes
Recommended TSF Capacity
—
m³ (with contingency)
Calculation Breakdown
Water in Slurry
Water content: tonnes ( m³). Add site water balance (process return water, rainfall, evaporation) for total impoundment sizing.
Summary
Calculate the volume and storage capacity required for mine tailings based on ore tonnage, recovery rate, and tailings density.
How it works
- Enter the total ore tonnage processed (tonnes).
- Specify the metallurgical recovery rate — the fraction of valuable mineral extracted.
- Enter the tailings solids density (t/m³), typically 2.5–3.2 t/m³ for common ores.
- Set the pulp percent solids (mass fraction of solids in the slurry), commonly 30–50%.
- The calculator computes dry tailings mass, total slurry volume, and recommended TSF capacity.
- A 15% engineering contingency is added to the net volume to give the recommended storage capacity.
Use cases
- Size a tailings storage facility during mine feasibility studies.
- Estimate tailings pond volume for environmental impact assessments.
- Compare TSF capacity requirements for different ore processing scenarios.
- Validate existing TSF designs against updated throughput estimates.
- Calculate slurry pipeline volumes for paste tailings systems.
- Support permitting applications with volume and capacity data.