The exploitation and use of mineral resources produce large amount of mine tailings that are commonly in slurry form with high water content and compressibility. Tailings slurries, which contain heavy metals, toxic substances and chemicals are typically transported to an impoundment and thereafter consolidated under their own weight and compaction to form a tailing dam. The main concern with such tailing dams is the stability during the mining operation and after tailing reservoir closure. Several studies report a total of 30+ failure events from 2000 to 2015, with catastrophic consequences both on fatalities and on the environment. The rate of failure is calculated to be two orders of magnitude higher than the failure rate of conventional water retention dams. Medusa is an Innovative Flat Plate Dilatometer which determines in a quick, precise, simple and cost-efficient way the most relevant parameters used in Geomechanical and Geophysical Stability Analysis, including shear wave velocity and stress history, allowing preventive identification of slope instability, and static / seismic liquefaction of tailings dams, to alert about critical conditions. The targets of the feasibility study were: 1) Validate the technical feasibility – Optimization of the product fit design for Medusa; definition of the product development plan for Medusa, integration of seismic and seafloor unit; assessment of the manufacturing strategy and costs; definition of the procedures for the product certification and extension of DMT standards to Medusa. 2) Validate the business opportunity – Validation of the market prices; engagement of key clients and define testing plan for the product validation; Executive Business plan.
