Pseudo-discontinuum model to simulate hard-rock mine pillars

Abstract

In this study, the pseudo-discontinuum modeling technique, called continuum Voronoi block model (CVBM), was applied to represent the behavior of hard-rock pillars from underground mines subjected to high field stresses. The CVBM’s ability to produce numerical results consistent with the observed behavior of pillars is demonstrated through the numerical analysis of a hypothetical case and a back analysis of the Creighton mine pillar. The results show that the model can capture convergence displacements and explicitly show the formation of macro-fractures parallel to excavation walls, intact rock slabs, and V-shaped notches. These components are characteristics of brittle failure induced by highly stressed ground conditions. The studies presented in this work confirm the CVBM as a convenient tool for the numerical modeling of intact rock pillars excavated in deep underground mines.

Keywords

• Brittle failure
• Spalling
• Bulking
• Voronoi tessellation