Geostatistics-block-based characterization of heterogeneous rock mass and its application on ultimate pit limit optimiza
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Geostatistics-block-based characterization of heterogeneous rock mass and its application on ultimate pit limit optimization: a case study Feiyue Liu 1 & Tianhong Yang 1 & Wenxue Deng 1 & Jingren Zhou 2 & Jinduo Li 1 Received: 27 May 2020 / Accepted: 22 October 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract For an open-pit mine, the slope must remain stable throughout the life of mining operation, and it follows that an optimized ultimate pit limit (UPL) should have the slope stability commensurate with economic benefit. In the Shuguang gold and copper mine, a geostatistics-block-based method is used to characterize the heterogeneous mechanical properties of rock mass. Then, the detailed slope stability analyses for four possible slope configuration designs using heterogenous mechanical parameter block model are performed to determine the steepest safe slope angle, and the steepest safe slope angle is next used for the UPL optimization. Compared with the original UPL assuming the rock mass is homogeneous in the same lithology, the slope angle for the optimized UPL has an average 1° to 6° increase, and the optimized UPL can bring 15.84 million tons of ore and reduce 20.83 million tons of waste rock. The result indicated that the application of geostatistics can make practical use of geotechnical information to improve slope stability, and slope configurations, and thereby optimize the UPL and so bring economic benefit. Keywords Heterogeneous mechanical parameters . Geostatistics . Block model . Ultimate pit limit (UPL) optimization . Open-pit mine
Introduction For a large open-pit mine, a single degree increase of slope angle will save million dollars of stripping cost; unfortunately, the economic benefits gained can be negated by a major slope failure (Lily 2002). The optimization of a UPL is the balance between safety (decrease the slope angle to improve slope stability) and economy (increase the slope angle to minimize stripping cost). In general, slope designers must reconcile making the pit slopes as steep as possible to reduce the stripping ratio with the conflicting requirement for flatter slopes to ensure stability (Khalokakaie et al. 2000). Since the design of an optimum open-pit requires an estimate of a set of average and safe * Tianhong Yang [email protected] 1
Center for Rock Instability and Seismicity Research, School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
2
State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
slope angles, the steepest safe angle should be identified firstly. The steepest safe slope angle is treated as constraints in the UPL optimization process, and they are defined in terms of the block unit that must be removed to provide access to a particular UPL. Traditionally, the stability of a slope has been determined on vertical
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