Research

Unsaturated soil mechanics; microscale modelling of porous media; evaporation and cracking in porous media; rheology of non-Newtonian fluids; coupled analysis of fluid flow, heat flow, and volume change in porous media.

Application

Mine waste management, including hard rock mining and oil sands surface mining. Specific topics include surface deposition of thickened tailings, underground backfill, unsaturated flow modelling, and reclamation cover design for waste impoundments. Other applications include shallow geothermal energy, and sensor design for unsaturated soils.

Activities

• Short course leader (2010)
• Internal conferences on paste and thickened tailings (2011)

Journal Articles

J. Henriquez, and P. Simms (2008), “Dynamic Imaging and modelling of multilayer deposition of gold paste tailings,” Minerals Engineering (publication pending).

E. Romero, and P. Simms (2008), “Microstructure Investigation in Unsaturated Soils:,” Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (publication pending).
Note: DOI 10.1007/s10706-008-9204-5

P. Simms, M.W. Grabinsky, and G. Zhan (2007), “Modelling evaporation to optimize surface deposition of paste tailings at the Bulyanhulu mine,” Canadian Geotechnical Journal 44: 1417-1432.

E. Romero, and P. Simms (2006), “Review of microstructural investigations in unsaturated soils,” Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (publication pending).

Conference Publications

P. Simms, “On the relation between laboratory flume tests and deposition angle of high density tailings,” Tenth International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings, Perth, Australia, Mar 2007.