Application of 3D numerical methods to the design of high rock slopes
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Application of 3D numerical methods to the design of high rock slopes Ali Mortazavi 1 & Morteza Asadipour 2 & Mohammad Eslami 2 & Peyman Salajegheh 3
Received: 3 December 2014 / Accepted: 16 March 2015 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2015
Abstract This paper deals with the deformation mechanisms and stability analysis of large slopes. The Sarcheshmeh mine west wall was selected as a case study. The current height of Sarcheshmeh west wall is 450 m, and in the future planning, pit depth exceeds over 800 m. With regard to the high future west wall (up to 1000 m), a comprehensive stability analysis was conducted. A sophisticated 3D model of the west wall was constructed and a comprehensive stress analysis was conducted. Both current and future slope geometries were analyzed, and the slope deformation mechanisms and stress change history were investigated as a function of slope excavation. The effect of regional in situ stress regime on the wall stability was demonstrated. Numerical modeling results are in agreement with field observations and predict instabilities for the midsection of Sarcheshmeh west wall.
Keywords Numerical analysis . Slope stability . High slopes . Rock mechanics . 3D modeling
Introduction Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex is the largest open pit operation in Iran operated by the National Iranian Copper
* Ali Mortazavi [email protected] 1
Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2
Geotechnical Division, Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine, Kerman, Iran
3
R & D Division, Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine, Kerman, Iran
Company. The mine has been designed to produce 20 Mt of copper ore annually. Sarcheshmeh deposit is one of the world’s largest copper deposits which is located 60 km north-west of Rafsanjan City in the central province of Kerman, Iran. The major rock types at Sarcheshmeh are andesite and granodiorite which host the copper mineralization and form the Sarcheshmeh porphyry stock. The Sarcheshmeh deposit has an oval geometry with major and minor diameters of 2300 and 1200 m, respectively, and oriented east-west. The mineralization depth at Sarcheshmeh exceeds over 600 m with a cutoff grade of about 2 %. Minable ore reserve is estimated at 1.2 billion tons of copper ore with 0.69 % copper and 850 million tons of molybdenum ore with 0.03 % molybdenum. The highest pit walls are located at the north, west, and southwest sections of the mine. The pit is currently operating at 2425 floor elevation with the highest wall of about 450 m in the western mine sector. Within the future expansion plan and pushbacks, the height of the mine west wall is designed to be about 840 m which puts Sarcheshmeh among the deepest open pit operations in the world. Figure 1 illustrates the plan views of Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine at current and final future expanded geometries. With regard to the complex geology associated with porphyry deposits and also the high wall to be excavated in the western mine sector in the future, a comprehensive geomechanical an
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