Characterization and Analysis of Iron Ore Tailings Sediments and Their Possible Applications in Earthen Construction

Mineral extraction is of ultimate importance for the economies of different countries, and Brazil is one of the world’s leading producers of iron ores. Unfortunately, dams are still the main problem, mainly in Minas Gerais, especially after the Fundão Dam rupture in 2015. Additionally, there is still a massive presence of buildings built on earth throughout the Minas Gerais mining region, built from the 18th century to today. Investigating the potential of iron ore tailings (IOT) to be incorporated into traditional earthen construction techniques in regions affected by dam ruptures presents a relevant and innovative research approach. In addition, the local reuse of these sediments should be the priority. Thus, the main objective of this work was to collect, characterize, and analyze the possibilities of the application of these tailings to produce rammed earth (RE). A complete characterization analysis was performed on the samples collected at three points. To analyze the soil-IOT compatibility, representative mixtures of RE were produced, and the specific mass, compaction, and compressive strength were performed. It was observed that the IOT samples have a high silica content and that the mixtures of IOT–soil, even without cement, reached the compressive strength values of the international standards, or even above them.