Abstract: Accurately understanding the development process of tailings dam break due to overtopping is the basis for simulating the shape evolution and calculating the discharged tailing flow, which is to carry on the routing of tailing flow, risk analysis and developing emergency plans. Due to lack of accurate and complete instance data for dam-break, it is incomplete to understand development mechanism of dam-break, so it is impossible to accurately describe the development process of dam-break erosion and research on dam-break is still in semi-theoretical or semi-empirical status. Two basic theories to study the dam-surface erosion after overtopping and mechanism of dam break due to overtopping were used. Based on the research and analysis of the destruction process of earth-rock dam break due to overtopping and combined with tailing dam its own characteristics and related theories, the destruction process of tailing dam break due to overtopping was proposed.

Key words: Tailing dam, Dam break, Mechanism, Process