Liquefaction of mine tailings is known to occur during cyclic, quasi-static & static loading cases but is still a relatively misunderstood concept because tailings dam failures continue to occur. In the worst case scenario the results are high costs, hindered public perception, environmental cleanup and worst of all, the loss of life. A better understanding of this issue is essential for any engineer associated with the mining and/or geotechnical industry, and in particular tailings dam construction and maintenance. This paper presents the liquefaction concept, some case histories dealing with failure of mine tailings dams, available testing methods and some dated and recent research conducted on liquefaction of mine tailings
