A contribution to understanding the effects of curing temperature on the mechanical properties of mine cemented tailings backfill

Increasing usage of cemented paste backfill (CPB) in underground mines combined with the fact that every single mine or backfill structure is unique with regards to their temperature conditions require a need to clarify and quantify the effect of curing temperature on the mechanical properties of CPB. Hence, the main objective of this study is to use an experimental approach to study the influence of curing temperature and combined effect of temperature and CPB components on the main mechanical properties (strength, modulus of elasticity, and stress–strain behaviour) of CPB. Thus, different types of CPB specimens are tested at different curing times and temperatures (2 °C, 20 °C, 35 °C, and 50 °C). The compressive and split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, stress–strain behaviour and microstructure are evaluated by laboratory tests. The results show that the curing temperature has a significant influence on the mechanical properties of CPB. Moreover, the effect of temperature on these properties depends on the binder type, W/C ratio, tailings type and curing time. The study demonstrates that the mine and backfill temperatures are an important parameter that should be considered in mine backfill operations.