TY - THES

T1 - Buckling phenomena as an overall slope failure mechanism

AU - Kössler, Johannes

N1 - embargoed until 02-09-2029

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The slope analysed in the context of this thesis represents the footwall of the Smr¿nik quarry, a marble mine operated by the company OMYA in the northeast of the Czech Republic. The aim of this work is to analyse the stability of the slope by means of numerical simulations using the two-dimensional FEM software RS2 (Rocscience Inc., 2020) . The basic motivation for this study is a buckling failure in a nearby limestone mine of a local company. This slope failure is also the triggering event of the investigations and is therefore evaluated on the basis of publicly accessible data, such as drone images or deformation data provided by the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) using the InSAR technology. The rock mass of the footwall in the Smr¿nik quarry consists of quartzite with prominent metamorphic features, whose orientation and dip are similar with the slope orientation and dip. This results in an increased risk of a similar failure. The geotechnical data required for the analysis are based on a drilling campaign conducted in 2023. A rock classification on the basis of the drill cores according to the GSI (Hoek et al., 2013), the Q-system (Barton et al., 1974) and the RMR (Bienawski, 1989) is carried out and their correlation has been verified. Further parameters are determined by uniaxial compression strength tests conducted from the Chair of Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics. The core of the analysis consists of a cross-section through the current mine layout. Based on that the slope height was gradually increased in several simulated excavation steps until the proposed final slope height. The results indicate an increased risk for a buckling failure at an exposed slope height of about 120m. To prevent a failure and reduce the risk, the implementation of a stabilising barrier is also being investigated, which has shown a positive effect on the slope stability. The barrier consists of a retained marble layer, which can also be recovered in a second step with an adapted mine planning strategy, provided that the slope stability is ensured. The stabilisation measures are completed by an aligned monitoring concept.

AB - The slope analysed in the context of this thesis represents the footwall of the Smr¿nik quarry, a marble mine operated by the company OMYA in the northeast of the Czech Republic. The aim of this work is to analyse the stability of the slope by means of numerical simulations using the two-dimensional FEM software RS2 (Rocscience Inc., 2020) . The basic motivation for this study is a buckling failure in a nearby limestone mine of a local company. This slope failure is also the triggering event of the investigations and is therefore evaluated on the basis of publicly accessible data, such as drone images or deformation data provided by the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) using the InSAR technology. The rock mass of the footwall in the Smr¿nik quarry consists of quartzite with prominent metamorphic features, whose orientation and dip are similar with the slope orientation and dip. This results in an increased risk of a similar failure. The geotechnical data required for the analysis are based on a drilling campaign conducted in 2023. A rock classification on the basis of the drill cores according to the GSI (Hoek et al., 2013), the Q-system (Barton et al., 1974) and the RMR (Bienawski, 1989) is carried out and their correlation has been verified. Further parameters are determined by uniaxial compression strength tests conducted from the Chair of Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics. The core of the analysis consists of a cross-section through the current mine layout. Based on that the slope height was gradually increased in several simulated excavation steps until the proposed final slope height. The results indicate an increased risk for a buckling failure at an exposed slope height of about 120m. To prevent a failure and reduce the risk, the implementation of a stabilising barrier is also being investigated, which has shown a positive effect on the slope stability. The barrier consists of a retained marble layer, which can also be recovered in a second step with an adapted mine planning strategy, provided that the slope stability is ensured. The stabilisation measures are completed by an aligned monitoring concept.

KW - Numerische Simulationen

KW - Tagebau

KW - Gebirgsmechanik

KW - Böschungsversagen

KW - Buckling Failure

KW - Numerical simulations

KW - Surface mining

KW - Rock mechanics

KW - Slope failure

KW - Buckling failure

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -