A Comparative Study of Two Tree-Based Models for Predicting Flyrock Velocity at Open Pit Bench Mining

Blasting is a cost-effective technique to break hard rock volumes by using explosives in the mining and civil engineering realms. Moreover, although blasting is a designed process and plays an indispensable role in these industries, it can also have multiple adverse environmental impacts. One such effect is flyrock, which poses risks to nearby machinery, and residential structures, and can even lead to injuries or fatalities. To optimize blasting efficiency as well as restrict side effects, prediction of the blast aftereffects is vital. Therefore, the present work focuses on using two machine learning methods to predict the velocity of flyrock in the open pit mine. To address this issue, a comprehensive dataset was gathered from the open pit mine. Then, Decision Tree and Random Forest algorithms were employed to predict flyrock velocity. The Random Forest model demonstrated superior performance compared to the Decision Tree model. Nonetheless, the performance of the Decision Tree model was deemed satisfactory, as evidenced by its coefficient of determination value of 0.83, mean squared error (MSE) of 4.2, and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 5.6%. Considering these metrics, it is reasonable to conclude that tree-based algorithms can be effective in predicting flyrock velocity.

Countermeasure Method for Stope Instability in Crown Pillar Area of Cut and Fill Underground Mine

Maintaining stability as well as optimizing recovery of crown pillar, a pillar separating surface area with the uppermost stope in overhand cut and fill underground mining method, is important. Failures in stope may lead to crown pillar failures and cause surface subsidence. Increasing crown pillar thickness will increase crown pillar stability yet reduce mining recovery because part of crown pillar is formed by ore body. Preventing stope failure is the key to maintain stability and optimize recovery of crown pillar. Therefore, it is important to study countermeasure method for stope failure especially in crown pillar area. An attempt has been made to investigate the effectiveness of various countermeasures for stope failure in crown pillar area by means of parametric study. The result shows active type support system is effective for supporting stope in high vertical stress condition while the passive one needs to be installed if the stope is opened in high horizontal stress condition. In general, more supporting capacity from both type support systems is needed if the stope is opened in more severe geological condition. Another countermeasures, sill pillar and surface pile, are introduced for stope instability in crown pillar and non-crown pillar area. Sill pillar is an abandoned slice of unstable stope based on stability analysis. Sill pillar is very effective to stabilize stope both in crown pillar and non-crown pillar area, especially for stope in high horizontal stress condition. Sill pillar application in model with stress ratio 2 can optimize 20 meter thickness of crown pillar into 5 meter. Another proposed countermeasure is surface pile. Surface pile can be installed from the surface to improve stability of crown pillar and stope. The most effective use of surface pile is found in simulation of model with stress ratio 0.75 where surface pile can optimize 15 meter thickness of crown pillar into 5 meter.

Evaluation of Stope Stability in Underground Mine;Hermyingyi (Sn-W Deposit) Mine in Myanmar

The stability of underground excavations has become an important issue in order to extend underground mining operations and extract deeper deposits. The increasing demand for Tin-Tungsten (Sn-W) for industry and its market price has created a motivation for mining companies to extract deep-seated Sn-W ore deposits in Myanmar. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the stability of underground openings, especially, the stope with considering the mining methods. To meet the objective, FLAC3D 5.0 simulation was used for the assessment of stope under different stress ratios, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 for two types of underground mines;Open stoping and Cut and Fill stoping. The results show that the risk of instability of stope is high under the stress ratio of K = 0.5 than that of K = 1.0 and K = 1.5 in both mining methods. However, the stability of the stope in open stope method is lower than that of cut-and-fill method obviously. This result shows that the appropriate mining method has to be selected for extraction of Sn-W deposit carefully in terms of the balance of safety and cost.

Rock Slope Stability Analysis by Using Integrated Approach

Slope stability assessment is an essential aspect of mining and civil engineering. In this study, Songwe open-pit mine in Malawi was investigated to establish possible pit slope instability. In performing the analysis, an integrated approach entailing rock mass characterisation, kinematic and numerical methods were applied. Based on rock mass classification system, Songwe Hill carbonatite rock mass is characterised as a good rock but still it possesses numerous random discontinuities that present a complex challenge in geotechnical engineering. Dip 6.0 software was used in carrying out kinematic analysis based on the attributes of discontinuities. The results show that there is a 16% likelihood of planar failure in the divided slope sections of the planned pit. Thus, slope angle optimisation to 41° has been proposed as a counter-measure to minimise the potential risk of planar failure. At the optimised angle, the risk of planar failure could be reduced by 44%. On the other hand, wedge failure was found to be improbable since no joint intersections were found in the critical zone of potential failure. For numerical analysis, finite element code was applied using FLAC3D 5.0 application. The results demonstrate that overall slope angle of 41° would offer a favourable balance between safety and mining economics as mining operations progress to deeper horizons thereby avoiding a costly push back solution due to instability.

Effects of Sublevel Open Stope Underground Mining on Surface and Open Pit Slopes

Underground mining is an economically viable option for exploiting ore reserves deemed uneconomic after open pit mining. However, underground development can have adverse effects on the above existing open pit slope walls. As a goal of this paper, identification and assessment of potential slope instabilities prior to underground development is crucial for safe and sustainable mining. Towards goal achieving, this paper gives a comprehensive parametric study to investigate the influence of sublevel open stope (SLOS) underground mining on the surface and open pit slope walls. By means of numerical simulation, the SLOS design is tried against the existing open pit followed by adjustments of important slope parameters which are overall slope height (OSH) and overall slope angle (OSA). We found that underground mining may induce slope failure, particularly on the hangingwall side of the pit. Subsidence is prominent on the hanging wall and the surface, whereas, the uplift dominates the footwall and pit bottom. Pit wall closure is observed during underground mining. Although the assigned dimensions in the parametric study show a negligible effect of OSH and OSA, the high OSH experience low subsidence in comparison with low OSH. Overall, the results demonstrate that the slope walls on the hanging wall side are mostly affected by the underground mining and high-stress concentration prevails near slope toes and pit bottom. Additionally, slope deformation decrease from pit bottom towards the slope crest and surface. The results of this study add knowledge to open pit and underground mining interaction.

Evaluating Rock Mass Properties of Vipingo Coral Limestone Quarry Based on a Modified Geological Strength Index (GSI) and State of Karstification

The process of evaluating rock mass strength requires that major structural features such as joints that influence rock strength are considered. In carbonate rock masses, however, the strength of the rock mass is largely dependent on intact rock strength and structural features play a secondary role. Laboratory experiments on porous rock have shown that intact rock strength reduces with increasing porosity, which has a direct effect on the rock mass strength. Rock porosity has however not been well accounted for in rock mass characterization methods currently in use. This research applies the modified GSI method for carbonate rock masses which is based on a combination of GSI and total porosity. The main aim is to quantify the GSI with respect to rock porosity which is a direct indicator of the state of karstification, as an inherent feature that affects rock mass strength. An empirical equation is proposed whereby the GSI as observed in the field is modified by a natural log of the value of porosity, giving rise to a modified GSI (GSIm). The GSIm together with laboratory properties of rock is used to determine the properties of Vipingo coral limestone from RocLab software. A deterministic parametric slope stability analysis is done using the finite element software Phase 2 with the rock mass properties as input parameters. The analysis results point to a direct dependence of the slope stability on slope angle, slope height and rock mass strength of the lithological unit. The graphs make a useful design guide for slopes engineered in this type of rock mass.

Construction of Dry Cover System for Prevention of Acid Mine Drainage at Mine Waste Dump in Open Cast Coal Mines, Indonesia

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) which occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to water and oxygen with an excavation is one of the serious environmental problems in the world. A dry cover system is generally constructed in waste dump for the prevention of AMD in Indonesia by virtue of low cost and availability of waste rocks for a cover layer. However, the failure of the system caused by the lack of information related to the construction of cover system in mines, which leads to AMD, has been reported recently in Indonesia. In this study, the field investigation was conducted in pit and waste dump in open cast coal mine in Indonesia with the aim of obtaining the information on the construction of a cover layer and backfilling conditions of waste rocks in the waste dump. The rock samples taken in two areas of the mine were analyzed by geochemical analysis and sequential extraction with acids. The results indicated that Net Acid Producing Potential (NAPP) of the rocks in the waste dump down to 100 cm depth in both areas was from 10 to 30 kg H2SO4/ton, suggesting that Potentially Acid Forming (PAF) was backfilled in a cover layer. The backfill of PAF was contrary to the concept of cover system, which caused the failure of constructing a cover layer. The cause of the failure was likely attributed to the shortage of cover rocks which are classified as Non Acid Forming (NAF) or the failure of proper placement of them by an operational problem in the areas. Moreover, the results of the extraction with acids suggested that the form of iron and sulfur has to be taken into account to discuss the occurrence of AMD.

Time effect and prediction of broken rock bulking coefficient on the base of particle discrete element method

Bulking characteristics of gangue are of great significance for the stability of goafs in mining overburden in the caving zones.In this paper,a particle discrete element method with clusters to represent gangue was adopted to explore the bulking coefficient time effect of the broken rock in the caving zone under three-dimensional triaxial compression condition.The phenomena of stress corrosion,deformation,and failure of rock blocks were simulated in the numerical model.Meanwhile,a new criterion of rock fragments damage was put forward.It was found that the broken rock has obvious viscoelastic properties.A new equation based on the Burgers creep model was proposed to predict the bulking coefficient of broken rock.A deformation characteristic parameter of the prediction equation was analyzed,which can be set as a fixed value in the mid-and long-term prediction of the bulking coefficient.There are quadratic function relationships between the deformation characteristic parameter value and Talbot gradation index,axial pressure and confining pressure.

GIS Database Template for Environmental Management of Mining in Indonesia

Mining sector in Indonesia faces many challenges including needed to support national economy, compliance to central and local government regulations, local community empowerment and environmental impact management. Mining companies are mandatory to perform the environmental management efforts to minimize the negative impact to the environment and pursue sustainability of post-mining land use and as much as possible to restore land to the initial conditions. There are many challenges on management multi parameter and multi temporal spatial data of environmental management. The aim of this research is to design the GIS database template for environmental management in Indonesia’s mining operation. This GIS database is designed using ArcCatalog ArcGIS 9.3 software, through following steps: inventory and assessment government regulations, inventory and assessment environmental quality standards, sorting and grouping parameters, design feature class and attribute, create GIS database, create GIS database dictionary. According to research result, GIS database template has many advantages for environmental management include integrated into a single database, avoid redundancy data, reduce volume data, uniformity data, easy to find and track data, integrated spatial and attribute data, can be used as an input for GIS analysis for decision-making and development strategies.

Numerical Study on an Applicable Underground Mining Method for Soft Extra-Thick Coal Seams in Thailand

The EGAT Mae Moh Mine is the largest open pit lignite mine in Thailand and it produces lignite about 16 million tons annually. In the near future, the pit limit of the mine will be reached and underground mine will then be developed through the open pit in the depth of 400 - 600 m from the surface. However, due to the challenges for underground mining such as poor geological conditions, extra thickness (20 - 30 m) of coal seams, and weak mechanical properties of coal seams and the surrounding rock, the success possibility of underground mining and an applicable underground mining method is being investigated at the present. The paper discusses the applicability of multi-slice bord-and-pillar method for the soft extra thick coal seams in the Mae Moh mine by means of numerical analyses using the 3D finite difference code “FLAC3D”.

Amelioration of acidic soil using fy Ash for Mine Revegetation in PostMining Land

This paper described the use of fy ash for soil amelioration of acidic soils to promote plant growth.In mining sites,acid sulfate soils/rocks,which contain sulfde minerals(e.g.pyrite FeS_(2)),have appeared as a result of overburden excavation.The excessively acidic condition inhibits plant growth due to the dissolution of harmful elements,such as Al,Fe,and Mn.Fly ash,an alkaline byproduct of coal combustion generated in thermal power plants is expected to be adopted to ameliorate acidic soils.However,the mixing ratio of fy ash must be considered because excessive addition of fy ash can have a negative impact on plant growth due to its physical/chemical properties.The pot trials using Acacia mangium demonstrate the evolution of plant growth with a 5%–10%addition of fy ash into acidic soil.When the acidic soil has a high potential for metal dissolution,the metal ions leached from the acidic soil are large,making it difcult to improve plant growth due to osmotic and ionic stress.This work suggests that the efects of fy ash on metal ions leached from the soil have to be considered for the amelioration of acidic soil.

Behavior of Surrounding Soil during Construction and Its Countermeasures Using Pipe Jacking Method in Deep Strata

In Japan when urban infrastructures need to be constructed, the difficulty of utilizing the ground or shallow strata will lead to a more frequent use of the deep strata. The common construction methods are open-cut, pipe jacking, and shield methods. In recent years, a new pipe jacking method has been established that can be adapted to 20 m below the ground or more. Using this method, the drivage machine and the jacking pipe continue to move an underground until the completion of the driving. Therefore an over-cutting area (so-called tail-void) must be formed to lower the friction between the ground and the pipe. The tail-void is filled with lubrications. However, because the stress release from the ground continues to advance when the tail-void is formed, hence there are some challenges required to cope with the stability of the surrounding ground. In order to utilize the pipe jacking method in the deeper strata layers, the theory, analysis and installation of tail-void have to be systemized, and such systematic data must be stored. Therefore, the conditions of tail-void in the deep pipe jacking method are discussed using numerical analyses.

Application of Fly Ash and Organic Material as Dry Cover System in Prevention of Acid Mine Drainage Generation

The common practice in AMD prevention is a dry cover technique. In this technique, rock that is potential in producing acidity (PAF) will be placed below non-acid producing rock (NAF). Depends on NAF availability in the mine site situation, organic covers can be used to prevent diffusion of oxygen into reactive sulphide wastes and subsequently to eliminate sulphide compounds oxidation and generation of acidic waters. The utilization of additional material cover layer is proposed, by using fly ash and organic material combination. To investigate the possibility of using these materials, a column leaching test in the laboratory scale was conducted with several scenarios of simulation. By comparing between column with different thickness of fly ash and organic material, the leachate water behavior is observed in the experiment, including the measurement of water quality (pH and EC), major cations-anions. The result suggests the possible thickness of fly ash (FA) and organic material (OM) as cover layer material, especially in the case of mine with domination of PAF rock material.

Study on Formation Mechanism of Dumping Piles on Dumping Area Stability

Dumping areas represent a stable hazard. To clarify the formation mechanism of dumping piles on dumping area stability, an investigation in open pit mine was performed. Moreover, experiments with gravel were conducted based on the research site conditions. The geological conditions, dumping operation, and waste particle size distribution were investigated in the Heidaigou open pit mine. Particle size distribution, dumping height, dumping volume, and floor inclination were varied to examine their effects on a single pile formation. The design of blasting can be modified to make the particle size of waste smaller. The volume of the bucket does not have a pronounced effect on dumping pile repose angle, capacity of dumping pile, and dumping area stability. The smaller the floor inclination, the better it is. Two measures are proposed to increase the kinetic force of friction between waste material and floor surface. The interval distance, dumping volume and dumping height were also varied to examine the interaction between the formations of multiple piles. The dumping width should be decided through optimization efficiency of bulldozer and dumping device in bucket wheel excavator-belt-stacker dumping operation and dragline dumping operation. Moreover, the volume of the bucket does not have a pronounced interaction effect. In the dumping operation, the work amount of bulldozer decreases as dumping pile increases. The design of the dumping operation must consider the total efficiency of ground leveling operation and forming dumping the area.

Surface subsidence due to underground mining operation under weak geological condition in Indonesia

Subsidence analysis and prediction with measured data have been conducted and applied to local strata and mining conditions worldwide. Underground coal mines chose the most suitable analysis and prediction method for them. However, there was no study based on the measured data of subsidence induced by underground mining operation in Indonesia. This paper describes the condition of underground coal mine in Indonesia and then discusses the subsidence behavior due to longwall mining operation based on measured data in Balikpapan coal-bearing formation in Indonesia.

Optimization of Dump Bench Configuration to Improve Waste Dump Capacity of Narynsukhait Open Pit Coal Mine

In next two years, the current waste dump of Narynsukhait coal mine is predicted insufficient to accommodate the overburden as limited of the waste dump capacity. Thus, redesigning waste dump is paramount to increase capacity of the dump in future. This paper describes current condition of waste dump of Narynsukhait coal mine and then discusses the optimization of waste dump geometry by analyzing the effect of different waste dump’s bench configuration on slope performance. Optimization of the geometry is carried out by investigating and comparing the performance of geometrical combinations of bench height, bench angles and number of safety berm by means of numerical modeling. The model shows that increasing height of bench is able to induce shear stress in the bench and may initiate bench instable. However, the shear stress can be limited by having safety berm and/or reducing bench angle to satisfy the stability criteria.

An Evaluation on the Physical and Chemical Composition of Coal Combustion Ash and Its Co-Placement with Coal-Mine Waste Rock

In the last few decades, the utilization of coal to generate electricity was rapidly increasing. Consequently, the production of coal combustion ash (CCA) as a by-product of coal utilization as primary energy sources was increased. The physical and geochemical characteristics of CCA were site-specific which determined by both inherent coal-source quality and combustion condition. This study was intended to characterize the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of a coal-combustion ash (CCA) from a site specific power plant and evaluate the leachate characteristic of some scenario on the co-placement of CCA with coal-mine waste rock. The physical properties such as specific gravity, dry density, porosity and particle size distribution were determined. Chemically, the CCA sample is enriched mainly in silica, aluminum, iron, and magnesium along with a little amount of calcium and sodium which includes in the class C fly ash category. Moreover, it is found that the mineral phases identified in the sample were quartz, mullite, aragonite, magnetite, hematite, and spinel. Co-placement experiment with mudstone waste rock shows that the CCA, though it has limited contribution to the decreasing permeability, has important contributed to increase the quality of leachate through releasing higher alkalinity. Moreover, addition of CCA did not affect to the increase of the trace metal element in the leachate. Hence, utilization of CCA by co-placement with coal mine waste rock in the dumping area is visible to be implemented.

Study on Prediction of Ground Vibration in Consideration of Damping Effect by Fragment in the Rock Mass

In modern mining industry, rock blasting is one of the essential working for rock breakage in terms of economic and efficient aspects. Blast-induced ground vibration may give serious impacts on wide range of surrounding environment, so it has to be paid much attention in the blasting process. Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) is one of the most important parameters related with blast-induced ground vibration. The prediction of PPV is very important in order to design an appropriate blasting standard and minimize its environmental impacts. However, general prediction equations and/or methods have not been developed yet because they do not consider the impact of rock mass and geological conditions. Therefore, in this paper, indoor tests, field tests and numerical simulation were conducted for assessing the effect of fragment in the rock mass on propagation behavior of ground vibration. In order to enable versatile vibration prediction at different sites with different blasting and geological condition, we investigated the differences in vibration behaviors due to blasting design, and the difference in geological condition. The result of a series of tests suggested that fragments in the rock mass related with the damping behavior of the blast-induced ground vibrations and more accurate prediction of the ground vibration (PPV) could be performed by considering fragment condition in the rock mass.