BHP report into Samarco disaster blames flaws in dam design
Staff Writer | August 30, 2016
The Samarco dam disaster at a mine part-owned by BHP Billiton in Brazil last year that killed 19 people was caused by construction and design flaws, according to a review conducted by a panel of experts.Article continues below
The, report commissioned by BHP, said problems at the dam made it more unstable, causing "liquefaction" in the dam wall, the Daily Telegraph reported.
BHP Billiton, and its partner Vale, have set aside up to $1.3bn to cover costs arising from the fatal accident that occurred at an iron ore mine in Brazil last year.
The US law firm commissioned to publish the report, Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton, hired a panel of experts to work out why the dam collapsed. The panel, chaired by geotechnical engineer Norbert Morgenstern, used eyewitness accounts, advanced lab testing and computer modelling.
The authors said the original design had to be changed, which used a type of sand designed to prevent a process known "liquefaction" - where soil loses its strength and stiffness when pressure is applied to it.
"As part of this modification, a change in the design concept was also adopted and saturated conditions were permitted to develop in the sand," the report said.
Dean Dalla Valle, BHP Billiton's Chief Commercial Officer, said the dam failure had a devastating impact.
"This important technical study will improve our understanding of what happened at Samarco. We have shared these findings so that the sector can learn from the dam failure and develop and implem ■ What to read next
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