Investigation finds Samarco dam failed due to liquefaction

An aerial view of the Rio Doce (Doce River), (bottom) which was flooded with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, at an area where the river joins the sea (top) on the coast of Espirito Santo in Regencia Village, Brazil, in this file photo dated November 23, 2015. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Thomson Reuters

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Reuters) - An investigation launched by Brazilian miner Samarco, and its owners Vale SA and BHP Billiton, into the cause of a dam spill last November found the dam collapsed due to liquefaction, a presentation said on Monday.

Liquefaction is a process whereby a solid material such as sand loses strength and stiffness and behaves more like a liquid. Norbert Morgenstern, a geotechnical engineering professor that presented the results, said liquefaction occurred because sand in the tailings dam was "loose, uncompacted and saturated."

(Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Editing by Alan Crosby)

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