• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.497-514
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• 2020

This study investigated the causes of large-scale ground subsidence in the upper part of mining cavities of the Samdo limestone mine, Samcheok city, Gangwondo, Korea. Geological and electrical resistivity surveys were undertaken on the collapsed slope of the mountain and in the mine tunnel where subsidence occurred, with geotechnical evaluations and numerical analysis. It is concluded that wide mining cavities, with irregular pillars in unstable rock masses hosting discontinuities, weathered over time, resulting in subsidence occurring along a fault plane due to increasing ground stress.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.697-706
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• 2022

In order to explore the stable anchoring conditions of coal side under the mining disturbance of soft section coal pillar in Wangcun Coal Mine of Chenghe Mining Area, the distribution model of the anchoring support pressure at the coal pillar side was established, using the strain-softening characteristics of the coal to study the distribution law of anchoring coal side support pressure. The analytical solution for the reinforcement anchorage stress in the coal pillar side was derived with the inelastic state mechanical model. The results show that the deformation angle of the roadway side and roof increases with the roof subsidence due to the mining influence at the adjacent working face, the plastic deformation zone extends to the depth of the coal side, and the increase of anchorage stress can effectively control the roof subsidence and further deterioration of plastic zone. The roadway height and the peak support pressure have a certain influence on the anchorage stress, the required anchorage stress of the coal side rises with the roadway height and the peak support pressure. The required anchorage stress of the coal pillar side decreases as the cohesion between the coal seam and the roof and floor and the anchor length increases. Then, applied the research result to Wangcun coal mine in Chenghe mining area, the design of anchor cable reinforcement support was proposed for the section of coal pillars side that has been anchored and deformed, which achieved great results and effectively controlled the convergence and deformation of the side, providing a safety guarantee for the roadway excavation and mining.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.508-515
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• 2016

In this study, we compared the stability of the pillars by using room and pillar mining method with the four models with different stiffness and pillar overlap ratio. The experimental models consist of two plaster models (overlap ratio 0%, 100%) and two cement models(overlap ratio 0%, 100%). The soft and hard rocks are modeled by plaster and cement models respectively. In these experiments, the model materials with strength values reflecting the calculated scaled factors not been used, so it is not a true scaled model test that reproduces in situ state in the laboratory. Experimental results show that the different overlap ratio pillars are one of the factors that can affect the stability of the mine.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

The stability of underground mine cavity is closely related with pillar strength. The vulnerability of pillars can be judged and reinforced if the pillar strength is known. The pillar strength is affected by characteristics of discontinuities and shape of a pillar. The change of pillar strength due to a discontinuity passing through the center of a pillar, width-to-height ratio of a pillar and small joints existing within a pillar was analyzed using PFC 3D. The result showed that the pillar strength is influenced by dip angle of a discontinuity and it increases as width-to-height ratio of a pillar increases. The pillar strength decreases as the number of contained joints increases. The relationship between total trace length observable from the pillar surface and the pillar strength was regressed with exponential function. The correlation coefficient of the regression was high enough so that pillar strength can be predicted using total trace length if a joint set exists in a pillar. Lastly, the method to estimate the strength of a pillar that includes two joint sets was proposed if the joint dip angles are 60°, 30°. The method also need total trace lengths of two joint sets.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.118-129
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• 1998

A three dimensional boundary element method-BEAP3D was applied to the stability analysis of the mine openings not only to improve the stability during mining operations but also to serve the evaluation of the mine openings for further utilization. Stability analysis on the stability of the room-and-pillar stopes underneath of the old mine openings and the openings to be created by the newly proposed sublevel stoping method at the Nowhado Pyrophyllite Mine, showed that rock mass around the old and new stopes would be stable. Six stopes of a sublevel stoping designed for the Choongmu Limestone Quarry would be stable, too. A sublevel stoping method consisting of six stopes was similarly suggested for the Keumpyung Quartzite Mine. The stability can be guaranteed through out six stopes. Since mining starts from the bottom 1st sublevel to the uppermost sublevel, the safety of the stopes will improve together with the mining process. It would highly be recommended to investigate in-situ rock properties and the rock stresses for future studies. Even though the rock around the uppermost part and bottom of all the stopes have a very high factor of safety, spot reinforcements such as rock bolting would be recommended to mitigate the intermediate and minor principal stresses acting in a tensile mode.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.585-597
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• 2013

In this study, in order to evaluate stability of the room-and-pillar underground structure, a series of preliminary numerical analyses were performed. Design concept and procedure of an underground structure for obtaining a space are proposed, which should be different from structural design for the room-and-pillar in mine. With assumed material properties, a series of numerical analyses were performed by varying size ratios of room and pillar and then the failure modes and location at yielding initiation were investigated. From the results, relationship between the ratio of pillar width to the roof span (w/s) and overburden pressure at failure initiation shows a relatively linear relation, and the effect of w/s on structural stability is much more critical than the ratio of pillar width and height (w/H) which is a crucial parameter in design of the room-and-pillar mining. It means that roof tensile failure and shear failure at shoulder and pillar are necessary to be considered together for confirming overall structural stability of the room-and-pillar structure, rather than considering the pillar stability only in mining. Failure modes and location at failure initiation were varied with respect to the ratio of room and pillar widths. Therefore, it is necessary to simultaneously consider stability of both roof span and pillar for design of underground structure by the room-and-pillar method.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.243-251
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• 2008

Recently, the mining methods are changing from surface mining to underground mining because of the increment of the environmental issues and legal regulations. Therefore, the stability of underground openings is a major concern for the safety and productivity of mining operations. In this paper, a survey of structural geology and discontinuities were carried out at a limestone mine. The relevant mechanical properties of rocks were determined by the laboratory tests and rock mass classifications (RMR and Q-system) for the mine design and input data for the stability analysis. The dimensions of unsupported span for underground openings and pillar were decided based on the RMR values of rock mass classifications. The stability analysis for the suggested mine design was examined through the empirical methods (stability graph method and critical span curve) and 3-D numerical analysis (Visual-FEA).

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.54-70
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• 2024

Utilization of completed open-pit for mining waste disposal is an alternative method of tailing storage facility (TSF), which can minimize the area and cost required for the installation of TSF. However, long-term tailing disposal into open-pit has a potential risk of reducing mechanical stability of surrounding rock mass by acting as an additional load. In this research, a realistic open-pit tailing disposal scenario of 60,400 hours was established based on the case of Marymia gold mine, Australia. Mechanical stability of surface pillar between open-pit and underground stope was analyzed numerically by using Sigma/W, under different stope geometry and rock mass conditions. Simulation results showed that long-term tailing disposal into open-pit can significantly increase the failure probability of surface piller. This result suggests that mechanical stability of mine geometry should be conducted beforehand of open-pit tailing disposal.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.126-140
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• 2023

In this study, the cause of subsidence in limestone mine was analyzed using a LiDAR-based geometry model. Using UAV and ground-based LiDAR systems, a precise geometry model was constructed for the subsidence surface and mine tunnel, and the results of on-site geological survey and rock mass classification were utilized. Through the geometry model, distribution of thickness of crown pillar and faults around the subsidence area, calculation of the volume of the subsidence area and subsidence deposit, and analysis of the subsidence surface inclination were conducted. Through these analyzes, the causes of ground subsidence were identified.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 2019

In this paper, the interaction between two neighboring tunnel has been investigated using PFC2D. For this purpose, firstly calibration of PFC was performed using Brazilian experimental test. Secondly, various configuration of two neighboring tunnel was prepared and tested by biaxial test. The maximum and minimum principle stresses were 0.2 and 30 MPa respectively. The modeling results show that in most cases, the tensile cracks are dominant mode of cracks that occurred in the model. With increasing the diameter of internal circle, number of cracks decreases in rock pillar also number of total cracks decreases in the model. The rock pillar was heavily broken when its width was too small. In fixed quarter size of tunnel, the crack initiation stress decreases with increasing the central tunnel diameter. In fixed central tunnel size, the crack initiation stress decreases with increasing the quarter size of tunnel.