13.08.2013 Views

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

PROBLEMS<br />

flow <strong>and</strong> return on the high initial investment. This may have at least three undesirable<br />

consequences:<br />

it could lead to the development of an uneven profile in the cave back <strong>and</strong><br />

the possible arrest of caving as a result of the new, uneven distribution of<br />

stresses;<br />

in weak materials, if draw is continued or if a path for the gravity flow of fines is<br />

established, it could lead to chimneying through the orebody (see Chapter 16) <strong>and</strong><br />

early dilution; <strong>and</strong><br />

if a group of drawpoints is drawn excessively with respect to the rate of caving, or<br />

if cave propagation is arrested <strong>and</strong> draw is continued, an air gap may be created<br />

providing the potential for a damaging air blast to be generated should a major<br />

collapse of the cave back occur.<br />

A fuller discussion of the factors influencing draw control <strong>and</strong> draw control practices<br />

is given by Brown (2003). The manual <strong>and</strong> empirical methods formerly used<br />

for modelling draw <strong>and</strong> developing draw control procedures are now being replaced<br />

by computer based modelling <strong>and</strong> optimisation procedures (e.g. Diering, 2000, Guest<br />

et al., 2000).<br />

Problems<br />

1 Figure (a) below shows the rectangular cross section of a deep underground excavation.<br />

The height of the excavation is small compared with its width, <strong>and</strong> its length,<br />

perpendicular to the section, is large. The principal in situ stresses are pxx <strong>and</strong> pzz.<br />

For these conditions, the elastic stresses in the rock surrounding the excavation are<br />

well represented by the expressions:<br />

where<br />

xx = d − e sin + pxx − pzz<br />

zz = d + e sin <br />

xz =−ecos <br />

d = rpzz<br />

√ cos<br />

r1r2<br />

− 1<br />

2 (1 + 2) <br />

e = a2 rpzz sin <br />

(r1r2) 3/2<br />

= 3<br />

2 (1 + 2)<br />

Figure (b) shows the dimensions <strong>and</strong> relative positions of two such excavations<br />

produced by the longwall mining of two parallel tabular orebodies.<br />

(a) If pzz = 32 MPa <strong>and</strong> pxx = 40 MPa, show that each of the excavations is outside<br />

the other’s 5% zone of influence.<br />

(b) Calculate the state of stress at F which is midway between B <strong>and</strong> C.<br />

481

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!