This article considers the monotonic and cyclic behaviour of a tailings sand material, tested over a wide range of confining pressures and relative densities. The collated experimental data are used to interpret the behaviour of this material in the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics (CSSM) and to calibrate an advanced bounding surface plasticity model. The response of this man-made material is then contrasted, within the same framework, to that of Toyoura sand, which is a well-characterised reference natural sand.

This process aims to identify the principal behavioural differences between the two types of geo-materials and the implications that these may have on the calibration process of an advanced constitutive model. Ultimately, the process also supports the numerical modelling of Tailings Storage Facilities under both monotonic and cyclic/earthquake loading.