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Ap>r! 2002 Senem Caal Company * Seneca II W Mine Se&mcntatiox Aond 016A Design StabiGtyAnalyrir ~ 1 <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />1.1 PURPOSE <br />The purpose of this stability analysis is to calculate the factor of safety (FOS) under static conditions for the <br />design conditions of Sedimentation Pond 016A embankment in order to document design compliance with <br />applicable regulatory standards under Rules 4.05.9 (6) and 4.05.9 (8) (b). <br />1.2 METHODOLOGY <br />The static FOS for Sedimentation Pond 016A was calculated using a basic, two-dimensional equilibrium <br />analysis program called SLOPE/W (Version 4.24). The calculated FOS is the ratio of those resisting forces <br />that would prevent embankment movement or failure to the corresponding driving forces. Resisting forces <br />include the internal strength parameters for both the soil materials used in the construction of the <br />embankment and the underlying base materials on which the facility will be constructed. Potential driving <br />forces include gravitational forces on the embankment and foundation materials and the gravitational and <br />lateral forces associated with the water volume that could be impounded behind the embankment. For this <br />analysis, a circular failure mode was assumed, and the FOS was calculated using the Bishop's method. <br />1.3 PROCEDURE <br />The design embankment cross-section used to evaluate embankment stability was determined from the <br />digitized topography shown on Drawing 13-8C, Attachment 13-SB of the Seneca II W Permit (2001). A <br />water surface elevation behind the embankment of 7,525.0 feet above mean sea level (amsl) was used for <br />the analysis. This water surface elevation is equivalent to the elevation of the invert to the principal <br />spillway. <br />The embankment geometry analyzed is based on the design topography cu[ perpendiculaz to the dam a[ the <br />tallest point relative to [he downstream topography. The embankment slopes used in [he design are 3H:1 V <br />and the crest length is IS feet. The potential phreatic surface for the stability analysis is based on a water <br />surface elevation of 7,525.0 ft-amsl. The phreatic surface through the embankment was estimated based on <br />Darcy's law and observation of similar homogenous pond embankments at the mine site. At these locations <br />seepage does not occur above the embankment tce. The resulting surface is shown on the SLOPE/W <br />computer printouts contained in Appendix B. <br />An undisturbed sample was collected from the foundation area of Pond 016. The foundation soil sample <br />was obtained from a Shelby tube sample taken from a test pit at the location of the embankment. Triaxial <br />(with pore pressure), grain size and Atterberg limits tests were run on the sample and the results can be <br />found in Appendix A, and are summazized on Table 1. The results of these tests were used to approximate <br />the properties of the Pond 016A foundation conditions due to the close proximity of the two embankments. <br />During consruction of Pond 016, embankment t-ill material was sampled and subjected to sieve analysis <br />and Atterberg limit testing. The strength properties for the embankment fill were obtained from tests on a <br />sample from Pond 010. The Pond 010 embankment strength results were selected to represent the strength <br />properties of the Pond 016A embankment fill due to the similarity in index and sieve properties between <br />the sample from the Pond 016 embankment fill located near Pond 016A and the Pond 010 embankment fill <br />(see Table 1). The Pond 010 embankment shear srength test was performed on a remolded sample at 95%a <br />of the maximum dry density from the standazd Proctor test (ASTM D698). The results can be found in <br />Appendix A, and are summarized on Table I. <br />The parameters described in Table 1 were input into the SLOPE/W program to evaluate static stability of <br />the Pond 016A structure and are shown in the attached program printouts with associated results. <br /> <br />Montgomery Watron Hama, 0165 Soutb Union Boulevard, Suite 910 * lnkevrood, Colorado 80278 * (303) 763-5140 <br />J:\2470108SamroCoal~PR-03\PoudiGAEV\Wmd~POND 16A DerrgnSTAB1I.ITYnmpanddor <br />W/77/02 din <br />