The researchers conducted a physical model experiment to study how tailings dams collapse during floods. By simulating flood conditions in a controlled water system, they found that the horizontal stress on the dam increases more than the vertical stress, leading to dam failure. Floods also weaken the dam's cohesion and increase its load, reducing stability. The dam failure starts at the toe and progresses upstream in a pull-type manner with multiple slippage faces. This study provides important data on how tailings dams fail during floods, helping to improve prevention and control measures for flood disasters.