Development of a DFN-based probabilistic block theory approach for bench face angle design in open pit mining

In open pit mining,uncontrolled block instabilities have serious social,economic and regulatory consequences,such as casualties,disruption of operation and increased regulation difficulties.For this reason,bench face angle,as one of the controlling parameters associated with block instabilities,should be carefully designed for sustainable mining.This study introduces a discrete fracture network(DFN)-based probabilistic block theory approach for the fast design of the bench face angle.A major advantage is the explicit incorporation of discontinuity size and spatial distribution in the procedure of key blocks testing.The proposed approach was applied to a granite mine in China.First,DFN models were generated from a multi-step modeling procedure to simulate the complex structural characteristics of pit slopes.Then,a modified key blocks searching method was applied to the slope faces modeled,and a cumulative probability of failure was obtained for each sector.Finally,a bench face angle was determined commensurate with an acceptable risk level of stability.The simulation results have shown that the number of hazardous traces exposed on the slope face can be significantly reduced when the suggested bench face angle is adopted,indicating an extremely low risk of uncontrolled block instabilities.

Numerical study on gas production via a horizontal well from hydrate reservoirs with different slope angles in the South China Sea

It is important to study the effect of hydrate production on the physical and mechanical properties of low-permeability clayey–silty reservoirs for the largescale exploitation of hydrate reservoirs in the South China Sea.In this study,a multiphysical-field coupling model,combined with actual exploration drilling data and the mechanical experimental data of hydrate cores in the laboratory,was established to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of low-permeability reservoirs with different slope angles during 5-year hydrate production by the depressurization method via a horizontal well.The result shows that the permeability of reservoirs severely affects gas production rate,and the maximum gas production amount of a 20-m-long horizontal well can reach186.8 m3/day during the 5-year hydrate production.Reservoirs with smaller slope angles show higher gas production rates.The depressurization propagation and hydrate dissociation mainly develop along the direction parallel to the slope.Besides,the mean effective stress of reservoirs is concentrated in the near-wellbore area with the on-going hydrate production,and gradually decreases with the increase of the slope angle.Different from the effective stress distribution law,the total reservoir settlement amount first decreases and then increases with the increase of the slope angle.The maximum settlement of reservoirs with a 0°slope angle is up to 3.4 m,and the displacement in the near-wellbore area is as high as2.2 m after 5 years of hydrate production.It is concluded that the pore pressure drop region of low-permeability reservoirs in the South China Sea is limited,and various slope angles further lead to differences in effective stress and strain of reservoirs during hydrate production,resulting in severe uneven settlement of reservoirs.

An approach for determination of lateral limit angle in kinematic planar sliding analysis for rock slopes

Planar sliding is one of the frequently observed types of failure in rock slopes.Kinematic analysis is a classic and widely used method to examine the potential failure modes in rock masses.The accuracy of planar sliding kinematic analysis is significantly influenced by the value assigned to the lateral limit angleγlim.However,the assignment ofγlim is currently used generally based on an empirical criterion.This study aims to propose an approach for determining the value ofγlim in deterministic and probabilistic kinematic planar sliding analysis.A new perspective is presented to reveal thatγlim essentially influences the probability of forming a potential planar sliding block.The procedure to calculate this probability is introduced using the block theory method.It is found that the probability is correlated with the number of discontinuity sets presented in rock masses.Thus,different values ofγlim for rock masses with different sets of discontinuities are recommended in both probabilistic and deterministic planar sliding kinematic analyses;whereas a fixed value ofγlim is commonly assigned to different types of rock masses in traditional method.Finally,an engineering case was used to compare the proposed and traditional kinematic analysis methods.The error rates of the traditional method vary from 45%to 119%,while that of the proposed method ranges between 1%and 17%.Therefore,it is likely that the proposed method is superior to the traditional one.

Influence of surface roughness on the development of moss-dominated biocrusts on mountainous rock-cut slopes in West Sichuan, China

Since natural restoration combined with artificial auxiliary measures may achieve a relatively rapid restoration effect at a lower cost, it has become an essential measure for the ecological restoration of rock slopes. Previous studies have focused heavily on the relationship between substrate nutrients and water conditions and the development of mosses on the rock surface, but quantitative characterization of substantial effect of rock surface texture(e.g., microrelief) on moss growth is absent. The undulating microrelief on the rock surface can increase the heterogeneity of the microhabitat, which may be an important factor affecting the development of mossdominated biocrusts. In this study, the roughness of rock surfaces, moss coverage and biomass, weight and major nutrient contents of soils within the biocrusts were measured in the western mountainous area of Sichuan Province, Southwest China to further examine the role of rock surface microrelief in the biocrusts. The results showed that three main factors affecting the development of the biocrusts were bryophyte emergence, soil accumulation, and lithology. The presence of moss accelerates soil formation on rock surfaces and lead to the accumulation of nutrients so that all parts of the moss-dominated biocrusts system can develop synergistically. It was found that a microrelief structure with a roughness between 1.5 and 2.5 could gather soil and bryophyte propagules effectively, which may have a strong relationship with the angle of repose. When the roughness is 1.5, the corresponding undulation angle is very close to the theoretical minimum value of the undulation angle calculated according to the relationships between the undulation angle of the protrusion, slope and angle of repose.

Mass-front velocity of dry granular flows influenced by the angle of the slope to the runout plane and particle size gradation

The mass-front velocities of granular flows results from the joint action of particle size gradations and the underlying surfaces.However,because of the complexity of friction during flow movement,details such as the slope-toe impedance effects and momentum-transfer mechanisms have not been completely explained by theoretical analyses,numerical simulations,or field investigations.To study the mass-front velocity of dry granular flows influenced by the angle of the slope to the runout plane and particle size gradations we conducted model experiments that recorded the motion of rapid and long-runout rockslides or avalanches.Flume tests were conducted using slope angles of 25°,35°,45°,and 55° and three particle size gradations.The resulting mass-front motions consisted of three stages:acceleration,velocity maintenance,and deceleration.The existing methods of velocity prediction could not explain the slowing effect of the slope toe or the momentum-transfer steady velocity stage.When the slope angle increased from 25° to 55°,the mass-front velocities dropped significantly to between 44.4% and59.6% of the peak velocities and energy lossesincreased from 69.1% to 83.7% of the initial,respectively.The velocity maintenance stages occurred after the slope-toe and mass-front velocity fluctuations.During this stage,travel distances increased as the angles increased,but the average velocity was greatest at 45°.At a slope angle of 45°,as the median particle size increased,energy loss around the slope toe decreased,the efficiency of momentum transfer increased,and the distance of the velocity maintenance stage increased.We presented an improved average velocity formula for granular flow and a geometrical model of the energy along the flow line.

Optimization of Slope Angle and Its Seismic Stability: A Case Study for the Proposed Open Pit Coalmine in Phulbari,NW Bangladesh

The present study reflects upon the results of substantial program of two-dimensional Finite Element Method(FEM) numerical analyses of the open pit that links to slope angle optimization associated with the safety factor of the pit slope of a coal mine in Bangladesh. In the present analyses, two types of models have been presented. The first model estimates safety factor without seismic effect on the overall pit slope of the model; the second model incorporates safety factor with seismic stability of the model. The calculated optimum slope angle of the first model is 31owith a rational safety factor of 1.51,prior to the seismic effect. However, the value is reduced to 0.93, 0.82, and 0.72, after we applies the seismic effect in the second model with M6, M6.5, and M7, respectively. Finally, our modeling results emphasize that for the case of the proposed Phulbari coalmine, there is extremely high prospect for causing massive slope failure along the optimum pit slope angle with 31oif the mine area felt seismic shaking,like the Sikkim(in northern India) earthquake with M6.9 on September 18, 2011.

Impact of the slope angle of hummocks on the ride-up of finger ice in the Liaohe Estuary

The ride-up and pile-up of sea ice have effects on the ice load of marine structure. The ride-up angle is an important parameter to study the process of ride-up and to determine the possibility of the ride-up to occur. Some conclusions about the ride-up angle are drawn based on field-survey data in this paper. Thirty hummocks with full structure, formed by 0.4-1.6 cm ice layers, were investigated in the Liaohe Estuary of the north of Liaodong Bay. After analyzing the cross-sections of the pile-up body, some concfusions on the ride-up angle are reached. The results indicate that whether the ride-up occurs or not is associated with the slope angle of the hummock. If the slope angle is greater than 10.31°, the ride-up can take place. With the development of riding-up and piling-up, if the slope angle increases to 40.0°, the climbing-up process will stop and the drifting ice begins to accumulate in front of the hummock. The climbing process does not continue until a new slope angle, which is less than 28.0°, is formed. Meanwhile, the forming process of hummocks, which are made up of 10.0 cm or 22.0 cm ice layers, is proved to follow the rule.

Stability analysis of the open-pit mine slope and the study on the incensement of the slope angle

Based on the exploration of the engineering geology and the rock mechan-ics testing, limit equilibrium analysis method was adopted to calculate the stability of the Huogeqi Copper Mine slope, the results show that the original slope angle is too con-servative and the slope have the potential of more preferable slope angle. In order to discuss the possibility of slope angle enhancement, sensitivity analysis of parameters related to limit state slope was made. Quantitatively determined angle value of the add-ing and the optimal slope angle was obtained. The study having performed showed that it is not only useful for the safety control of open-pit mine slope but also for the open-pit mine design for the similar geological condition.

Influence of blasting on the properties of weak intercalation of a layered rock slope

A precondition for correctly analyzing the stability of a slope and designing its bracing structure is to study and determine the influence of excavation blasting on the properties of weak intercalation in the layered rock slope. On the basis of in-situ stratification-cracking blasting tests, the properties of weak intercalation were investigated using the LS-DYNA3D program. The displacement distribution and compactness of weak intercalation at different positions away from the charge center and their various laws are discussed. The critical displacement of stratification-cracking （0.1 mm） was obtained, and an approximate expression of compactness were deduced. Furthermore, through the simulation of a layered rock blasting under the same geological conditions, the stratification-cracking effect of deep-hole blasting on the properties of weak intercalation was compared with that of short-hole blasting, and the influencing differences, in addition to their causes, were analyzed. The results indicated that the blasting cavity of weak intercalation in short-hole blasting with a radius of 40 mm was nearly a circle, whose radius was about 28.7 cm; whereas in deep-hole blasting with a radius of 150 mm, the shape of the blasting cavity was different from that in short-hole blasting, the radius of the cavity behind the charge （89.1 cm） was further smaller than those of the other three （138.7 cm）, and there were sharp crinkles on the surface of weak intercalation. When the distance from the charge center （DCC） was less than 40 and 150 cm in short-hole and deep-hole blasting, respectively, the displacement of weak intercalation was reduced remarkably with the increase in DCC.

Bearing capacity and settlement of strip footing on geosynthetic reinforced clayey slopes

The effect of geosynthetic reinforcing on bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on georeinforced clayey slopes was investigated.The results of a series of numerical study using finite element analyses on strip footing upon both reinforced and unreinforced clayey slopes were presented.The objectives of this work are to:1) determine the influence of reinforcement on the bearing-capacity of the strip footings adjacent slopes,2) suggest an optimum number of reinforcement and 3) survey the effect of friction angle in clayey soils reinforced by geogrids.The investigations were carried out by varying the edge distance of the footing from slope.Also different numbers of geosynthetic layers were applied to obtaining the maximum bearing capacity and minimum settlement.To achieve the third objective,two different friction angles were used.The results show that the load?settlement behavior and ultimate bearing capacity of footing can be considerably improved by the inclusion of reinforcing layer.But using more than one layer reinforcement,the ultimate bearing capacity does not change considerably.It is also shown that for both reinforced and unreinforced slopes,the bearing capacity increases with an increase in edge distance.In addition,as the soil friction angle is increased,the efficiency of reinforcing reduces.

Determination of the Stable Slope Configuration of Oval-Shaped Furrow Pits

The space effects of oval-shaped furrow pit slopes were analyzed by the elastic mechanics principle.The interaction of limit equilibrium slope angle,friction coefficient,cohesion and horizontal radius of oval-shaped furrow pits has been derived.The oval trumpet-like rock mass is homogeneous and elastic while only loaded by its dead weight.The interaction indicates that the deeper an oval-shaped furrow pit is excavated,the greater the limit equilibrium slope angle.Both the theory base for reducing stripping waste rock in an oval-shaped furrow pit and the basic way to determine the configuration of a stable slope were developed from the mentioned interaction.The theory includes the preceding principles of stability analysis of slopes.Compared with the configuration determined by traditional theory of slope stability,a great quantity of stripping waste rock can be reduced by that determined in this paper under stable conditions.

Study on determination of the stable slope configuration for deep open pit mine

The space effects of deep pit slope are analyzed by an elastic mechanics principle. The interaction among the critical slide angle, the friction coefficient, the cohesion, and the horizontal radius of the deep pits is derived in this paper. It indicates that the deeper the pit is excavated, the greater the critical slide angle is. Both the theory for reducing stripping waste rock in deep pit and the approach to determining the configuration of the stable slope are developed from the interaction. The theory in this paper comprises the preceding principles of stability analysis of slopes and is suitable for analyzing that of deep pit.

Seismic responses of slopes with different angles in coral sand

This paper investigates the seismic responses of slopes in coral sand taken from a reef island in the South China Sea.A series of shaking table model tests were conducted to explore the responses of soil acceleration,excess pore pressure,and slope displacement for three slope angles(5°,10°,and 15°).The results show that the excess pore pressure ratio of the slope decreases due to an increase in the initial shear stress when the slope angle increases.The acceleration response of the soil increases with the increase of the slope angle.The slope displacement presents substantial increments as the excess pore pressure ratio increases.In addition,the lateral movement,and slope settlement present substantial increments as the slope angle increases.No liquefaction is observed under a dynamic excitation of 0.2 g in the coral sand site.Under a dynamic excitation of 0.4 g,the site liquefies quickly,the acceleration amplification factor decreases,and the lateral movement and the settlement of the slope surface both increase compared with that under 0.2 g excitation.For the slope with an angle of 15°at 0.4 g,the flow distance of the sand strip increase by 289.47%compared with that in the 5°case.The lateral movement of the slope surface near the water level line is substantially larger than that away from the water line.The largest settlement is observed near the middle section of the slope(below the water level)under a dynamic excitation of 0.2 g.In contrast,the largest settlement under a dynamic excitation of 0.4 g occurs at the top of the slope.

Design of Overall Slope Angle and Analysis of Rock Slope Stability of Chadormalu Mine Using Empirical and Numerical Methods

In engineering projects associated with rock mechanic science like open pit mines, assessment and slope stability of mine walls is one of the important performance in generate of these structures. Estimating and knowledge of stable slope angle is one of main parts that should be occurring to special attention in open pit mines studies phase. Considering the importance of economic costs in mining issues, the need for appropriate design slope angle that can cause an adverse minimize project costs and throws the other hand, the stability conditions in the safe walls of the mine life will provide essential and seems obvious. Therefore, in this study to determine the optimal slope angle of overall and bench of west wall of the Chadormalu ore iron mine, has been trying, first, done field studies on the discontinuity of western wall, engineering classification and geomechanical properties of rock masses of wall, then assess the amount of optimal slope angle using empirical method. Finally, in order to ensure stability and accuracy of the wall slope angle based on the obtained (empirical method) tries to analysis is amount of Factor of Safety (FOS), displacements and mean stress condition atwalls calculated from drilling use Phase2D powerful software.

Theoretical Study of Seed Movement in Cotton Seeds Selection Device

The aim of the research work is to increase the yield of cotton fiber by improving the processing technology of germinated seeds, to improve the quality indicators of seeds and lint. In order to achieve this goal, a mesh surface device was created to sort the seeds into fractions. Sorting technology was developed on this device and operating modes were determined. In addition, the law of surface distribution of the fractions separated from the cotton stream moving along the surface of the net was determined, and based on the results of practical and theoretical research, a mode of sorting of cotton seeds was developed. As a result, differential equations of the law of oscillation of seeds on parallel bases, taking into account the angle of inclination for the movement of cotton seeds on the sorting surface, were constructed and programmed on a computer to construct the trajectory of seeds. On the basis of the laws of motion, the optimal value of the angle of inclination on the horizontal, which gives the state of sorting of seeds, as well as the values of the amplitude and frequency of vibrations, was determined.

Optimum Design of Highway Excavation Slope Angle: Evidence from Dawu Section of Jingzhu Highway

The optimum design of the highway excavation slope angle is one of the most important problems to the highway construction and to the slope improvement. The Dawu Section of Jingzhu (Beijing Zhuhai) Highway is taken as an example to illustrate the study method for excavation slope angle design. The analysis of the engineering condition from different angles with different factors shows that the stability of the slope is calculated by using residual pushing force and the Sarma method. Then the sensitive analysis of the slope stability is conducted by using residual pushing force method. Finally, the optimum angle of design is presented on the precondition of ensuring the whole stability of slope and the economic reasonability. The study results show that the most sensitive factors are the shear strength parameter and the seismic force, and that the optimum excavation slope angle is 60°.

Stability of High Slope Interbedded Strata with Low Dip Angle Constituted by Soft and Hard Rock Mass

Slopes consisting of interbedded strata of soft and hard rock mass, such as purplish red mudstone and grey brown arkosic sandstone of Jurassic age, are very common in Sichuan basin of China. The mudstone is soft while the sandstone is hard and contains many opening or closing joints with a high dip angle. Some are nearly parallel and the others are nearly decussated with the trend of the slopes. Many natural slopes are in deformation or sliding because of those reasons. The stability of cutting slopes and supporting method to be taken for their stability in civil engineering are important. In this paper, the stability and deformation of the slopes are studied. The methods of analysis and support design principle are analyzed also. Finally, the method put forward is applied to study Fengdian high cutting slope in Sichuan section of the express way from Chengdu to Shanghai. The results indicate that the method is effective.

Theory of pleiotropic action of biologically active compounds and medicines—Basic principles and practical application

This article represents the main positions of the theory of pleiotropic action of biologically active compounds (BACs) and medicines, which has been designed by the author based on her own experimental researches. The term “pleiotropy” means the ability of the BACs and medicines to implement more than one mechanism of action resulting in the specific biological (pharmacological) effect. The interaction of these mechanisms forms a distinct pattern of biological response (pleiotropic pattern), which reflects the change in his character with the increased dose (concentration)-dependent efficacy of BACs and medicines. The article consists of description of different pleiotropic patterns established in experiments on the model of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by macrophages dependent on activity of specialized enzyme called Nox2-NAD(P)H oxidase (Nox2, EC 1.6.3.1). Moreover, it consists of explanation of pharmacodynamic nature of pleiotropic patterns by means of application Chou-Talalay median effect equalization and combination index (CI) theory. The novel theory explains unsolved until now universal aspects of activity BACs and medicines, such as slope angles of “dose-effect” dependences in the conditions relevant in vivo, and it is of fundamental interest. However, it has applications in experimental pharmacology, as it allows defining the choice of the individual compounds and combinations, modulating the trust effect selectively and efficiently. This knowledge opens up new approaches to medicines discovery and evaluation, their rational dosing and combining.

Effects of laser beam divergence angle on airborne LIDAR positioning errors

The influence of laser beam divergence angle on the positioning accuracy of scanning airborne light detection and ranging （LIDAR） is analyzed and simulated. Based on the data process and positioning principle of airborne LIDAR, the errors from pulse broadening induced by laser beam di vergence angle are modeled and qualitatively analyzed for different terrain surfaces. Simulated results of positioning errors and suggestions to reduce them are given for the flat surface, the downhill of slope surface, and the uphill surface.

Modification Method of Lightning Shielding Angle Calculation for Transmission Lines in Mountain Areas

Shielding angle is one of the main factors influencing lightning performance of transmission lines,which always stays in the focus of the design and the evaluation of lightning protection.A formula for the improved shielding angle is proposed for evaluating the lightning performance in different terrains.The digital elevation model(DEM) is used to obtain the micro-topography data,such as the slope gradient,slope aspect,etc.The following results are obtained by analyzing the influence of topography factors on the improved shielding angle:(1) improved shielding angle non-linearly increases with the increase of the slope gradient and the slope aspect,(2) improved shielding angle is more sensitive to the slope gradient than to the slope aspect,(3) the improved shielding angle in the mountain terrains is much greater than the designed shielding angle.This may be the reason why the designed shielding angle is limited into the rational range,while the shielding faults occur frequently.