Abstract: The seepage stability of tailing dam is of great importance to the dam structure stability and therefore, the analysis of seepage field is an important content of tailing dam engineering research. The theory of water-soil interaction to which seepage is closely related is introduced into the tailing dam seepage analysis. On the basis of the geochemistry and mechanics, and their relative theories, in light of tailing's structural characteristics, the paper discusses, macroscopically and microscopically, the water-soil interaction within tailing dam in terms of water-soil chemical interaction, water-soil physical interaction and seepage mechanical interaction. The seepage field finite element simulation is conducted for a real case of iron ore tailing dam so as to provide the basic primary data for tailing dam stability analysis and also the basic theoretical reference for the study of disaster-causing mechanism of tailing dam.

Key words: Tailing dam, Water-soil interaction, Seepage analysis